Brine Tank at Brown County Highway Department
BROWN COUNTY, WI (WTAQ) — Snowplow drivers are getting ready for winter storms and keeping the community safe on the roads. However, the rising costs of diesel has put a strain on local budgets.
All of the snowplow trucks in Brown County run on diesel, which has gone up to about $5 a gallon. Paul Fontecchio, Brown County Highway Commissioner, says in a typical year, the Highway Department has an equipment budget of $1.25 million. This year, that budget was set to $0 to accommodate for the rising cost of fuel.
“In the short term that works, but in the long term I’m going to need to keep buying equipment and get rid of the old stuff.” said Fontecchio.
The cost of road salt has also gone up, but not as drastically. The Brown County Highway Department is well-stocked with salt.
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