Washington County staff recommend 6.5% residential, 7.2% commercial garbage-rate increases; board signals support to return with final adoption June 17

Washington County officials presented the annual solid waste and recycling collection rate review during the Board of Commissioners'9 meeting on June 3, asking the board to direct staff to return with a final adoption on June 17. Staff said the system brought in $45,280,948 in 2024 and that the systemwide return on revenue was 5.25%, short of the county'9s 10% target.

The presentation, led by Mira Samantha, director of Health and Human Services, laid out staff'9s recommended rate changes and a proposed code amendment to raise a quarterly certificate fee charged to haulers from 3% to 4%. Samantha told the board, "Our total return on revenue came in at 5.25%." She said staff recommend a 6.5% rate increase for residential customers, a 7.2% increase for commercial customers and no change for dropbox/compactor services.

The rate review matters because county staff use a 10% return-on-revenue target for certificate holders (the private haulers authorized to collect trash and recycling in unincorporated areas). Samantha said staff calculate return on revenue by subtracting allowable system expenses from total revenue; the resulting income divided by revenue yields the return percentage. Staff identified rising disposal and recycling processing costs, vehicle repairs and depreciation, and higher employee salaries and benefits as the main cost drivers.

For 2024 the county reported $2,377,019 in net income for the system. Staff said residential service returned 4.58% in 2024, commercial returned 3.92%…