Cost of electric leaf blower mandate blows away Town of Greenwich budget

A gas leaf blower ban was voted into law by the Greenwich legislature, aka the RTM (Representative Town Meeting) in January 2024. Supporters were hoping the result would mean less noise and air pollution, but implementing this law has caused economic hardship.

Commercial landscapers, of whom many are small business owners, complained bitterly about the cost and operational issues (battery life, weight, fire, storage) of this mandate. Their complaints were ignored.

The Town of Greenwich complained. They were awarded a variance of one year. However, in this year's budget, Department of Public Works (DPW) and Parks & Rec requested $500,000 to purchase 36 blowers, but their request was cut by the budget board, aka BET (Board of Estimate and Taxation). Republican members of the BET used their tie-breaking vote to reject this unfunded mandate.

Surprisingly, DPW seems to have found room in their budgets for six of the electric blowers it needs. They claim that this limited number will cause operational inefficiencies. Apparently, they will comply with the mandate even with limited equipment.

Between the Lines: What's next, a dog barking ordinance?

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