Norwell Highway Budget Rises Amid Higher Costs

Rising costs for salaries, fuel, and winter maintenance have led to budget increases for Norwell’s Highway Department, according to discussions at a recent Advisory Board meeting. The department, which oversees road repairs, tree maintenance, and snow removal, is adjusting its budget to keep up with inflation and operational demands.

A key factor in the rising budget is employee wages, which have increased significantly over the past two years due to contractual agreements and licensing stipends.

"Right away, John, right at the top, it's that number that we saw on the other sheet. 11%. That was staggering," said Glenn Ferguson, Norwell Highway Director. "You don’t see that here because we’re not carrying that other guy."

While steps and licensing stipends account for part of the increase, town officials are reviewing the exact breakdown of salary adjustments.

"Can we add that to just some of the analysis that we asked for?" said John McGrath, Advisory Board Chair. "Can we add the tree department to that analysis?"

In addition to wage increases, fuel costs remain a concern, especially as the Highway Department provides gasoline and diesel for all town vehicles, including police, fire, and school buses. Some officials raised questions about whether each department should manage its own fuel expenses.

"All the fuel for the town, for all the departments, police and fire, the schools all get their fuel under my budget," Ferguson explained.

Advisory Board Member Bob Howard questioned whether this system encourages wasteful spending.

"If some department is not responsible to be realistic about their habits of burning through fuel, they get wasteful because they don’t pay for it," Howard said. "I’ve seen it monstrously abused."

Officials confirmed that fuel usage is tracked by department and that spending trends are monitored.

Another major concern is winter maintenance. The town’s snow and ice removal budget remains significantly underfunded, relying on reserve funds to cover shortfalls.

"We’ve had 10 snow events already this year, and probably 15 or so what I call salting sand events," Ferguson said. "This year’s going to be a tough year. I can tell you that right now. We are looking at three more storms this week."

McGrath noted that the town’s snow and ice budget strategy differs from how other budgets are handled.

"It just defies the logic of how we’ve approached every other budget throughout this whole process of budget conservatively and hope for the best," McGrath said. "This is—we know it’s underfunded and it is what it is."

Despite rising costs, Ferguson emphasized that his department has worked to keep expenses low over the years.

"I think I’ve done a pretty good job in town here," he said. "If you look since 2018, which is almost, I don’t know, eight years ago, I’ve only increased my general expenses by 10 grand in town. It’s pretty remarkable."

Norwell officials will continue reviewing the budget as they prepare for town meeting discussions.

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