A report coming to the Operations Committee next week says in 2017 the city was 1.9 million dollars over budget for winter roads operations.

The period runs from January to December 2017 with the highest cost being sanding, salting and plowing at over 8 million dollars, which was two million over the allotted budget.

City staff say the high cost was due to an above average snowfall and freezing rain season with November being the worst month at 56 cm of accumulation above the 30 cm seasonal average.

The reserve Fund policy allows any over expenditures to be funded by the Roads Winter Control Reserve Fund.