Board delays vote on Eldorado Disposal 6.36% rate request, asks for public briefing

The El Dorado County Board of Supervisors on July 22 paused consideration of a rate increase request from Eldorado Disposal Service, asking staff to bring a fuller legal and operational briefing and a public presentation before voting.

County staff and a third‑party consultant had presented a combined request of 6.36% that would raise residential and commercial collection and material recovery facility (MRF) rates. The increase includes a 3.62% interim-year adjustment tied to the U.S. “garbage and trash collection” consumer price index and a 2.74% surcharge to recover construction cost overruns for the new transfer station/MRF, which the consultant reported rose from an original 2014 estimate of about $12 million to roughly $38.7 million.

Why it matters: Commissioners and many residents said they understand the mechanics of the CPI adjustment but are uneasy about passing large project overrun costs to ratepayers amid household affordability pressures. The board asked county…