LOWVILLE — Lewis County will pay its towns 30 percent more for plowing and sanding county roads this winter to help offset skyrocketing costs.

"They're in the same boat we're in," said county Legislator L. Kelley Dickinson, R-Harrisville, chairman of the legislative Transportation Committee.

Legislators on Tuesday approved reimbursement to towns of $5,200 per centerline mile of county roads they plow this winter. That's up $1,200 from the $4,000 per mile towns received last winter.

Town crews plow 173 miles of Lewis County roads, so that contractual item will cost the county an additional $207,600 next year.

"On paper, it looks like a big expense," County Manager David H. Pendergast said.

However, with the expenses for fuel, sand and salt increasing at rapid rates, the new reimbursement is a "reflection of what it's actually costing the towns for plowing county roads," he said.

"Diesel fuel alone is a 30 to 35 percent increase from last year," said Warren W. Shaw, president of the Lewis County Highway Superintendents' Association.

Snowplow parts, such as steel cutting edges for blades, also have increased dramatically in cost, said Mr. Shaw, the town of Croghan's superintendent.

The new reimbursement figure was determined through discussions among Mr. Shaw and West Turin Highway Superintendent Richard E. Failing and members of Mr. Dickinson's committee, Mr. Pendergast said.

"It's the county's intent to be fair and equitable with the towns, because we appreciate their plowing of county roads for efficiency and timeliness," he said.

The $5,200 per mile is about what it costs county highway crews to plow the roads they do, Mr. Dickinson said.

However, county and town officials agree that the county would spend a lot more — primarily for purchasing extra plow trucks, hiring more workers and driving to the far corners of the county — if it took over plowing of the 173 miles of road in question.

"In the overall picture, it's allowing us to maintain our budget," Mr. Pendergast said.

"There's no way they could afford to take care of the roads," Mr. Shaw said. "We said, 'We're not asking to make any money. We just want to cover the costs.'"

And, barring a particularly snowy winter, towns are hopeful that the extra county funding will allow them to do that.

"For now, I guess, everybody's pretty much satisfied," Mr. Shaw said.

However, if expenses continue to rise, town officials likely will seek another reimbursement hike at this time next year, he said.