VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) – Local governments likely have some more money to spend thanks to a lack of snow over the fall and winter seasons. While kids may not be happy, if you pay taxes you probably are.

Roughly $600,000 is typically set aside for snow removal each budget year in Vancouver, according to City Councillor Raymond Louie. Barely a dent has been made in that number.

“If it’s not completely exhausted, then what happens is it goes into a cumulative reserve and at the end of the year that number is reported to council,” he says, “but at this point of time, because we’ve had a limited snow issue, thankfully, our budget is in good shape and our money goes into a reserve, anything that’s left over.”

Louie says much of the money in this year’s snow removal budget probably will go elsewhere. Don’t get too excited though; it’s likely to be spent on human resources and administrative issues at City Hall.

So far this year it’s been mostly fog, showers, and mild temperatures. News1130 Meteorologist Russ Lacate says our one major snowfall over the fall / winter seasons was back on December 19th, when YVR picked up 19.8 centimetres before it all washed away.