Wicomico County delays July landfill rate hike; council sets $88/ton increase to take effect Jan. 1, 2026

The Wicomico County Council voted on June 3 to remove a proposed July escalation in landfill tipping fees and set a new rate of $88 per ton to take effect Jan. 1, 2026.

The decision followed a public hearing and extended discussion involving commercial haulers, environmental advisers and county staff about the landfill enterprise’s finances, capacity and operations. Council members and county staff said revenue from tipping fees must cover operating costs and fund future cell construction and closure obligations.

Why it matters: The change ends a proposal to raise the county’s tipping fee in two steps (to $84 per ton in July and $88 in January) and instead defers the single increase until January. County officials said interim steps would materially affect near-term finances; haulers and towns urged a longer lead time so they could adjust contracts and municipal budgets.

County finance and operations officials told the council that the landfill is a user-funded enterprise that has operated at a loss in recent years. Pamela Lynn, the county’s finance director, said the Solid Waste Division’s budget had been drafted at higher rates but that adjusting the schedule affects whether the division posts a modest profit or a loss in 2026. Adam Corey, executive director of environmental services and acting landfill superintendent, said a regular fee review is needed to protect the enterprise and avoid drawing on the general fund.

Commercial haulers and municipalities told the council the timing of increases matters. “A July 1 increase announced just weeks in advance puts everyone in a difficult and unnecessary position,” Andrew Dooley, owner of Seagull Disposal, said during public comment. Dooley said many haulers have already invoiced or prepaid customers for July service and cannot retrofit those contracts on short notice.

Other speakers warned of operational and environmental pressures. Judith Stribling, chair of the Wicomico County Natural Resources Conservation Advisory Committee, said increases are needed to address capacity, staffing, monitoring and infrastructure and to reduce environmental risk. She urged the council to adopt the fees as proposed and to pursue diversion and beneficial-use projects.

Council debate and rationale

Council members pressed staff on outreach, the landfill’s relative scale and the fiscal math. Mike Swaby, deputy director of public works, and Corey described large 2024 tonnage numbers compared with neighboring counties and said Wicomico operates many convenience and recycling centers that increase wear and operating cost. Corey said the county must “put money away in a piggy bank for the future” to build the next cell and to close existing cells without borrowing long-term.

Pamela Lynn said, based on recent budget runs, $84 per ton was near a breakeven point for recent results and that intermediate moves matter: the difference between a July step and not taking an interim step swings county revenue by hundreds of thousands of dollars. In the presentation staff said the two-step approach (84 then 88) would generate roughly $300,000 in net positive margin for the enterprise versus a loss if the interim step was skipped in the short term.

Several council members said they wanted more time to work with haulers on diversion and pacing; others argued the county cannot continue operating the landfill at a loss and that failure to act would force larger future costs or a subsidy from the general fund.

Council action and votes at the meeting

- Councilmember Josh moved to skip the July interim increase and implement a single increase to $88 per ton effective Jan. 1, 2026; the motion was seconded (second not specified in the record). The amendment to remove the July increase and set the January effective date passed on a 5–1 vote. Council later approved Resolution 72‑2025 as amended; the final vote on the amended resolution carried (recorded as unanimous at the meeting).

- Council directed staff to continue outreach and hold follow-up meetings with haulers; staff announced a haulers’ meeting was scheduled for the following week.

Votes at a glance (other items passed during the same meeting)

- Legislative Bill 2025‑06 (FY26 county operating and capital budget and appropriations): adopted as amended (unanimous). The adopted budget reduces the real property tax rate and adjusts several line items and position and salary changes discussed at the meeting.

- Resolution 73‑2025 (adopt FY26–30 Capital Improvement Program as amended): passed (unanimous). The council approved a package of amendments altering funding sources and moving several projects between PAYGO and bonds.

- Resolution 76‑2025 (levy property tax rates for FY26): approved (unanimous). The adopted budget includes a lower real property tax rate and an adjusted personal property tax rate consistent with state law constraints.

- Resolution 59‑2025 (authorize lease for fixed-base operator at airport): passed (unanimous).

- Resolution 75‑2025 (declare court Smart Digital Systems Inc a sole‑source vendor for the circuit court): passed (supermajority; recorded as unanimous in the roll call at this meeting).

- Resolution 70‑2025 (Parsonsberg Library renovations — transfer $37,264 from library operating account and amend capital budget): approved; one council member recused due to a personal conflict and the record notes the resolution passed with that abstention.

What the council did not do: The meeting removed the proposed July increase and delayed the rate change until January; it did not adopt an immediate July increase.

Context and next steps

County staff and several council members emphasized that the landfill is a user-funded enterprise and that failing to increase fees would require either borrowing for capital projects or drawing on the general fund. Staff identified capital needs such as a compactor, well-network upgrades for gas recovery and ongoing monitoring and remediation obligations tied to state environmental requirements.

Councilmembers and staff agreed to use the next six months to meet with haulers, pursue diversion opportunities and refine the multi‑year plan for rates and capacity. Council President Jeff Merritt said the interim step had been removed to buy time for “serious discussions” and planning.

The council’s vote amends the schedule of fees and charges administered by the Department of Public Works Solid Waste Division; the new $88-per-ton rate is effective Jan. 1, 2026, as recorded in Resolution 72‑2025 as amended.

Ending note: The landfill rate decision was the lengthiest single item on a meeting that also included the annual budget, the CIP vote and several administrative resolutions; the council’s action leaves the county and haulers with six months to negotiate contracts and to pursue diversion and operational changes before the new rate takes effect.