Flathead County solid waste budget would spend reserves on new landfill liner, leachate pond; staff additions requested

Flathead County solid waste staff told county commissioners April 30 that the department’s fiscal 2026 budget projects $15.3 million in revenue and includes a $4.5 million transfer from reserves to pay for three near-term projects, including a leachate pond and work on a future landfill liner. Solid Waste Director Dave Prunty presented the numbers and said the Solid Waste Board recommended the commissioners approve the budget as presented.

The budget proposal lists $7.4 million in assessment revenue (including the next 3% scheduled rate increase), $2.5 million in projected disposal gate fees and $325,000 in miscellaneous receipts. The $4.5 million transfer is designated for three capital items that Prunty said will extend the life and capacity of the landfill: liner excavation for a future South Area landfill, a roughly $2 million leachate pond to be built this summer, and an access road for Phase 6A of the new landfill.

Why it matters: the proposal shifts saved funds to capital projects rather than relying on new revenue, and it outlines operational changes for leachate handling that the department says will alter daily work and staffing needs.

Prunty described the leachate pond as a summer storage reservoir; his plan is to…