While it may seem hard to believe, town officials are hopeful that the cost of snow removal won’t exceed budgeted amounts, as long as it stops snowing.

Madison increased its snow removal budget this year $20,000, from $115,000 to $135,000.

First Selectman Fillmore McPherson said it is “too early’’ to know how much money has been spent on the last several winter storms, since not only does the town pay its own workers, but outside contracts, who bill the town on an irregular basis.

“But, the first selectman said, “as hard as we’ve been hit the past few weeks, you need to remember that until the first storm hit a few weeks back, it had been a pretty mild winter.’’

Read more in this week's Source.