Crook County OKs 2.5% Republic Services rate increase, agrees to short-term credit for landfill tipping-fee jump

The Crook County Board of Commissioners on Aug. 20 approved a 2.5% rate increase for Republic Services effective Oct. 1, 2025, and separately voted to credit Republic for the July–September 2025 increase in county landfill tipping fees.

The change follows a Republic request for a larger increase and staff review that recommended a single 2.5% adjustment. County staff said the 2.5% figure is roughly comparable to last-year consumer-price changes and would limit additional increases during the fiscal year.

“Staff’s recommendation is that the board approve the 2.5 percent rate increase,” a county staff member told commissioners during the public hearing. The board approved that motion without a roll-call vote recorded in the transcript.

In a second, separate motion, the board approved a credit back to Republic for in-county tonnage for July, August and September 2025 that covers the difference between a $69-per-ton rate and a $62-per-ton rate. The board specified that the credit will be calculated from monthly tonnage reports prepared by the landfill and will exclude out-of-county loads, including Deschutes County biosolids that were charged at $79 per ton during the July project.

“We can make it happen,” Jackie, the landfill director, said when asked whether the landfill could absorb the accounting change; she described accounting for “every dollar” and noted that revenue forecasts had been built on the higher tipping fee.

County staff told commissioners the July–September revenue impact to the landfill budget if the county applied the credit would be about $50,000 in total. Commissioners discussed the equity rationale for the credit, saying Republic had no control over the county-set tipping fees and that limiting Republic’s requested increase merited a short-term reimbursement.

Courtney Voss, a Republic Services representative, was present for the hearing and offered to answer questions but did not make extended remarks. A resident who identified himself as Adam Mikulski asked whether the 2.5% increase would show up on customer bills; a county official replied, “That’s correct,” and later clarified that the July–September credit would not directly alter monthly customer bills but would reduce landfill revenue for that period.

The board approved the credit motion on a recorded voice roll call of commissioners present for that vote. Commissioners also instructed that the credit calculation be performed on monthly tonnage totals rather than individual tickets to simplify administration.

The board’s actions on the Republic request were part of a broader consent and business session that included approval of a community-corrections intergovernmental agreement and a facility-use request for the county’s Carrie Foster Hall. The Republic rate decisions are intended to balance rate-payer impacts with Republic’s operating costs and the county landfill’s revenue forecast.

The county manager and landfill director said staff will implement the approved rate change and the agreed credit process and will follow up with the monthly tonnage-based accounting described by commissioners.

Votes at a glance

- Approve 2.5% Republic Services rate increase (effective Oct. 1, 2025): motion moved by Jeff (first name as recorded), seconded; all in favor (voice vote). Outcome: approved.

- Credit back to Republic for July–September 2025 tipping-fee increase: motion specified credit equal to the difference between $69/ton and $62/ton for in-county refuse, exclude out-of-county loads (Deschutes biosolids at $79/ton), credit based on monthly tonnage reports; motion moved and seconded, roll-call recorded with Crawford, Harmarke and Barney saying “aye.” Outcome: approved.

- Other business at the meeting (consent agenda, IGA signature, facility use) are listed in the minutes and were approved; see action list for details.