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Orange County adopts $400 mandatory refuse assessment, expands hauler zones
Summary
The Orange County Board of County Commissioners unanimously approved a $400 annual mandatory garbage and recycling assessment and a new hauler compensation schedule for 2026, and approved staff and hearing officer exemptions.
The Orange County Board of County Commissioners on Sept. 4 unanimously adopted a $400 annual mandatory assessment for county garbage and recycling collection and approved a new hauler compensation schedule and geographic service zones that take effect with hauler contracts starting in January 2026.
David Gregory, manager of the solid waste division, told the board that “Chapter 32 of the Orange County code requires that the board of county commissioners pass a resolution annually setting the mandatory garbage and recycling rate” and that the board had tentatively set a $400 customer rate in June — $100 higher than the current year — to reflect rates in competitively procured hauler agreements approved by the board on Nov. 19, 2024. Gregory said the county divided service into six geographic zones for the new agreements, replacing the prior five-zone structure to reduce households per zone and “facilitate better service to the customers.”
The board approved the resolution on a voice vote after a motion by Commissioner Wilson and a second by Commissioner Uribe. The vote was recorded as unanimous.
Staff also presented recommendations on exemptions to the mandatory assessment. Gregory said the board had been given a booklet listing three sections of recommendations: previously granted exemptions reviewed and recommended again by staff; staff-investigated new requests (of which there were none this year); and appeals reviewed by the hearing officer. Chloe Berryman, the hearing officer, reviewed appeals and recommended approval; Gregory said no appeals were heard this year. The board approved the staff and hearing officer recommendations on a motion by Commissioner Uribe and a second by Commissioner Wilson; that vote was unanimous.
No members of the public spoke during the mandatory refuse public hearing. Staff told the board that property owners had been notified in advance and that the hauler compensation rates were listed in the resolution.
The board adjourned the mandatory refuse hearing after the votes.
