Snohomish County panel hears plan to raise tipping fees, add 3% annual inflator to shore up solid-waste system

Snohomish County Public Works on Tuesday urged the County Council’s Public Infrastructure and Conservation Committee to adopt a new waste export service fee schedule that would raise tipping fees and include a 3% annual inflator beginning Jan. 1, 2027, with the new fee schedule proposed to start Jan. 1, 2026 after review by the Utilities and Transportation Commission (UTC).

The change, presented by Kelly Snyder, Snohomish County public works director, and Dave Schoenhardt, solid waste director, is intended to bring the solid waste enterprise fund to full cost recovery, restore delayed capital projects and maintain service levels that county staff said are at risk without additional revenue.

County staff say the increase matters because equipment and construction costs have jumped, labor costs have risen year-over-year and the county must replace key infrastructure such as tip floors and vehicle scales. Without the proposed adjustments, staff warned, Snohomish County could be forced to reduce service hours or close drop-box sites and may again need staff reductions similar to layoffs experienced in 2016.

Kelly Snyder, public works director at Snohomish County, told the committee the system has gone 16 years without a rate adjustment and that staff have exhausted temporary measures used to keep services running. "The…