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Union County adopts ordinance raising leaf-compost tipping fees; surrogate office to pass through credit-card fees
Summary
The Union County Board of County Commissioners voted to adopt Ordinance 857-2025, which raises tipping fees at the county's leaf composting facility and authorizes pass-through credit-card charges for the surrogate's office. The ordinance passed by roll call after brief public comment.
At its regular meeting, the Union County Board of County Commissioners adopted Ordinance 857-2025, amending county administrative code fees for public works and the surrogate’s office. Subcommittee Chairman Bodek moved the ordinance for final reading; Commissioner Kowalski seconded it and the clerk recorded an affirmative roll call that the record shows as eight votes in favor.
The question most raised during the public hearing came from resident Bruce Patterson of Garwood, who asked the board to explain which fees were being added or increased and whether the new charges related to the surrogate's office were intended to cover a budget cap overrun. County Counsel responded that the public-works changes are “initial fees for the public works department” — specifically modest increases to “tipping fees at our leaf composting facility,” and that they remain “still below market to my understanding, but it will help keep that operation running.” On the surrogate office item, County Counsel said the change is to permit the county to pass along credit-card processing fees to users. “The fees will have no add on. The cost to the consumer will be strictly the amount charged to the county by the credit card company with nothing added on,” Counsel said.
The ordinance text read into the record describes the amendments as changes to Part 2, Policies and General Legislation, Chapter 49 (Fees), Article 5 (Engineering and Public Work Fees) and Article 7 (Office of the Union County Surrogate Fees). After public comment and the motion, the clerk called the roll and recorded affirmative votes by Commissioner Baker, Commissioner Delasvoort, Commissioner Kowalski, Commissioner Mirabella, Mister Palmeri Mudett, Commissioner Williams, Vice Chairman Bodek and Chairwoman Leon.
The board also handled routine business in the same meeting including approval of communications and minutes and a consent-line motion to adopt a long list of resolutions (see separate votes summary).
