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No Snow: Bad News For Kids, Good News For City Budget Crunchers

By Mike Dunn

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - Snow? What snow? Kids hoping for sledding instead of school may be disappointed by the lack of snow so far this winter. But city of Philadelphia budget crunchers are ecstatic.

The past two winters were nasty on the roads and on Philadelphia's budget -- $17-million spent on salting and plowing two years ago and $12-million spent last winter. This year, so far, not a single penny.

The mayor's spokesman Mark McDonald says that's a relief, "so we've been very fortunate in the Philadelphia region thus far. We in Philadelphia have not had to spend any money on snow removal."

Of course that would quickly change, and in the budget in fact the Nutter Administration set aside a conservative $5.75 million in anticipation of snow.

"So, we're ready. We're just hoping we don't have to use it."

McDonald says city officials realize there's a ways to go, "with 8-10 weeks of winter left, we're hopeful. But we're not talking too loud about it. You don't want to chance the (whims of) Mother Nature."

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