King County delays vote on solid-waste fee increases after haulers cite transfer-station closures

The Metropolitan King County Council on Tuesday postponed a final vote for one week on a proposed single-year increase to disposal and related solid-waste fees after haulers raised concerns about recent transfer-station closures and the financial impacts of direct-haul diversions to Cedar Hills Regional Landfill.

The proposed substitute ordinance (No. 2025-0182.2) would raise many disposal fees — most by about 12.5% — increase the self-haul per-ton vehicle fee (from $203.81 to $229.29), raise the fixed annual charge from roughly $23.3 million to $26.8 million, and hike some discounts and yard/clean-wood rates, department staff said. The solid-waste division presented the package as a one-year measure to stabilize revenue while staff review capital and operating plans.

Why it matters: Haulers told the council that repeated short-notice closures and delays at King County transfer stations since mid-2024 have forced trucks to divert long distances to the regional landfill, increasing time, fuel use, emissions and labor costs. Haulers and their contractors asked the county either to adjust the regional direct-disposal fee that applies when haulers take loads to Cedar Hills, or to fix operational reliability so…