Resident tells Vernon County finance committee landfill projections and past audits are inaccurate

KJ Jacobson, a resident, told the Vernon County Finance Committee that financial projections used to justify a landfill expansion are unrealistic and that recent audit reporting contains errors.

Jacobson said the slide presented at a previous board meeting projected 342,000 tons over 15 years — a figure he said translates to 22,800 tons per year and “You have never ever received that much tonnage.” He said county staff previously allowed out-of-county waste only once to cover expenses and called for stronger internal controls over financial reporting used for capital decisions.

Jacobson said county staff had spent “nearly $800,000” on the landfill project and that he had asked for multiyear (5, 10, 15 year) projections but had seen none; he urged the committee to involve the new finance director in landfill finances. He also criticized the county’s 2023 audit, saying auditors did not properly accrue income and that a roughly $400,000 insurance recovery was booked as miscellaneous operating revenue, which, he said, distorted operating net results and did not follow GAAP or GASB guidance.

Committee members acknowledged the concerns and discussed asking staff for clearer, more verifiable financial projections and more detailed numbers on tonnage, rates and leachate costs before advancing the expansion plan. No formal action was taken during the meeting on the landfill expansion; Jacobson’s remarks were heard during public comment.

Committee members said they want additional financial detail before decisions are made and discussed asking staff (including the finance director) to deliver follow-up written information for the committee to review.