St. Clair County commissioners approve September disbursements, grants and contracts; adopt landfill fee schedule starting Jan. 1, 2026

The St. Clair County Board of Commissioners on Oct. 16, 2025 approved multiple budget and contract items, including county disbursements, grant agreements, service contracts and a schedule of landfill fees designed to bring landfill revenues closer to costs. Commissioners also approved several appointments and reappointments.

The board first approved the September 2025 county disbursements in the amount of $45,243,208.87 by roll call. Commissioners then adopted a series of resolutions, grant agreements and contracts that were moved and supported during the meeting; most passed by voice vote or roll call as recorded in the session.

Landfill rate increase and debate

The most contested item was a proposed landfill-rate adjustment designed to reduce a multi‑million‑dollar operating deficit in the landfill fund. County staff and commissioners described a combination of factors—loss of Canadian volume, a 27% drop in household volume this year, increased operating costs and higher internal contract costs after a bid process—that created a structural shortfall. Administrator Carrie Hepting said the county “is going to have to address it in some fashion” because the deficit is unlikely to be a one‑year anomaly.

Hepting reported the landfill’s volume drop and said the proposed fee schedule would raise approximately $2,100,000, which county staff said would bring the fund near break‑even compared with a projected deficit “between 2 and a half and 3,000,000.” She told the board the peer-review consultant’s kickoff meeting is scheduled for next Wednesday and that the consultant’s report will take about four to five months…