Lucas County sanitary engineering director Jim Shaw proposed increasing the county’s fixed solid-waste fee from $5 to $25 per improved parcel to generate revenue for a proposed material recovery facility and related programs.

At a June 24 public hearing in Springfield Township, Shaw said the county has secured roughly $12 million in grants to remediate a former landfill site where a material recovery facility — or MRF — would be built. "I'm recommending, that in order to, generate additional revenue for debt and operational costs, increase the fixed fee from $5 per year to $25 per year," Shaw said. He told the board the change would show on the tax duplicate as $12.50 per half and would be certified to the auditor by the second Monday in September if approved.

Shaw said the county is pursuing the MRF to reduce trucking costs and retain more recyclable material for local resale. He estimated construction costs at the 30–50% design stage between $20 million and $25 million and said the facility could employ approximately 15 to 25 people depending on throughput and whether a second shift is required. Shaw said the county would own the facility but would contract operations to an experienced private operator; he named Balcones Resources/Circular Services as a draft partner and said a formal announcement might follow.

Shaw described the fee structure and history: Ohio legislation (House Bill 592, 1989, as discussed at the hearing) required counties to prepare solid-waste management plans and allowed funding via disposal fees and fixed assessments. Lucas County implemented a fixed assessment in 2014 of $5 per improved parcel and retains a separate $5.20 per-ton landfill disposal fee that Shaw proposed not to change. The proposed fixed-fee increase to $25 per improved parcel would generate stable revenue to support MRF debt service and operations and reduce reliance on variable disposal fees tied to landfill tonnage.

Trustee Michael Hood and other local officials in attendance asked whether assessment revenues could be pooled into county investment accounts to reduce rate pressure; Shaw said tax receipts are handled by the county treasurer and that staff would follow up with the county auditor/treasurer and county prosecutor for clarification. Hood also asked whether the county could use fee proceeds for other district needs; Shaw answered that revenues must be used for solid-waste purposes per the solid-waste plan and governing statutes.

Members of the public questioned whether private haulers would still deliver material to the county facility; Shaw said haulers currently pay disposal fees at their chosen landfill and that bringing a local MRF would shorten long trucking runs and likely attract a majority of haulers to deliver recyclables locally. He said a MRF would allow the county to control local recycling streams and avoid sending loads 90 miles each way. Shaw also explained the fixed-fee assessment is charged to improved parcel owners on the county tax duplicate — it is not a usage-based charge, so a homeowner with a single improved parcel would pay the same annual fee.

The commissioners closed the June 24 hearing without voting; Shaw said the resolution to revise the solid waste fixed fee will be presented to the Board of County Commissioners for consideration on July 1, 2025.