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Ada County raises landfill disposal rates, adds asbestos processing fee
Summary
The Board of Ada County Commissioners approved Resolution 31-30 raising general refuse rates by $1 per ton for in-county waste and increasing out-of-county rates; the board also established new fees for asbestos processing and staff estimated the change would cost residents about $0.95 per year.
BOISE, Idaho — The Ada County Board of Commissioners on Sept. 9 adopted Resolution 31-30 to raise landfill disposal rates and set a new fee for asbestos processing.
The resolution increases the county’s general refuse disposal rate for in-county waste from $32 per ton to $33 per ton, and increases the out-of-county rate from $39 per ton to $40.25 per ton. The county also established an asbestos processing fee — $48 per ton for in-county asbestos waste and $58.50 per ton for out-of-county asbestos waste — to reflect the greater airspace and handling required for that material.
Why it matters: Solid Waste Director Herb Cantu told the board the fee adjustments are modest and were calculated to cover costs; he said the change equates to roughly $0.95 per resident per year based on a county population figure used in the presentation.
Details presented to the board
- Rate increases: In-county general refuse — $32/ton → $33/ton; out-of-county general refuse — $39/ton → $40.25/ton.
- Asbestos processing fee: In-county — $48/ton; out-of-county — $58.50/ton. Cantu explained asbestos requires isolation and uses roughly twice the airspace compared with typical municipal solid waste, which informed the fee calculation.
- Resident impact: Based on the county population number cited (approximately 535,000 residents as of Feb. 2024), the director estimated the per-resident impact at about $0.95 per year (described in the meeting as “roughly a dollar per year” or “95¢ per year”).
Board discussion and context
Commissioners thanked the solid-waste staff for due diligence and noted some cities are increasing their own rates, which the director said ranges from about 6% to 8% in neighboring jurisdictions. The board also noted that the landfill receives no property-tax support and operates from reserve fees and charges, a point repeated during discussion.
Ending: The board closed the public hearing on the resolution and approved the rate changes by voice vote. Staff was directed to publish the new rate schedule and update billing systems.
