What do snow and Ice contractors do for the commonwealth of Massachusetts?


First, like cities and towns, the state of Massachusetts has a budget line item for snow & ice. it includes money for salt, deicing liquid and to pay the contractors among other things. And just like cities and towns, the state deficit spends which means some years, private contractors supplement the snow and ice removal for the state of MA. When you don't get paid from the state, fuel still needs to be bought, drivers to be paid insurance and any repairs or maintenance still has to get done. You eventually get paid when the governor and legislature bring forth a supplemental budget.


What these contractors also do is make it so the state taxpayers do not have to buy an extra 4500 pieces of equipment to use for snow & ice along with the 4500 employees needed to run that equipment. Contractors come with no benefit liabilities to the state taxpayers!


Now as for a contractor laying down salt today for that short snow squall, that is unusual for mass highway district 2 as they usually use a state truck for those small events, but it is easy enough to check. So chapter 90 (road money) is a separate budget line item in the entire state budget.


Massachusetts Department of Transportation (DOT) has a phone number for pot holes; 857-368-4636 or 877-623-6846.


Jeff Bennett