Readfield has decided to purchase its own equipment and do away with contracted plowing. Recently, officials said the projected equipment cost would be $110,000, which represents a lot less than the $7,323 per mile we paid but failed to mention; the cost for sand and salt ($42,528 last year), employee wages, insurance expense and fuel.

Taxpayers should look at the proposed budget for 2009-10 and the budgets for the past two years. Readfield has decided to add a few classes and reduce some others; now there is an added expense for public works building and its operations and a reduced maintenance class even with the purchase of more equipment.

Officials have also agreed to plow 4.1 miles of road and parking lots with their access roads for the town of Manchester. This could possibly make the town money but will also take time and trucks away from our local roads.

The Department of Transportation says the state average for plowing is $5,000-$8,000 per mile, which doesn't make the $7,323 we paid seem so high. DOT also said towns get away with cheaper rates because they have longer plow cycles, which means they save money because they don't plow as often as a contractor would.

We all hope the town of Readfield can save money, but we don't want the quality of our road plowing in the winter to suffer because of an insufficient or reduced budget.

John Cushing

Cushing Construction

Readfield