Solid waste and recycling budget reorganized to improve tracking; landfill leachate and road work highlighted

Solid Waste staff told commissioners April 1 they reorganized FY26 budget line items to better reflect operational expenditures at the county landfill and convenience centers, moving many items out of a single “buildings and grounds” catch-all into specific accounts for road maintenance, material purchases and tipping fees.

Staff said the new line items will improve transparency and tracking for costs such as dirt/material purchases to shape landfill caps, road maintenance on the hilltop access road, rental of heavy equipment when on-site units are unavailable, and vehicle-equipment purchases. The packet showed a new $130,000 line for road maintenance materials and a separate $300,000 materials account intended for cover soil and hauling costs.

Solid Waste staff reported leachate volumes have declined from historic highs after operational changes and now require less frequent hauling for treatment, reducing hauling expense estimates. The FY26 request also included planned lease payments for capital equipment and a downscaling of heavy-equipment requests compared with previous budget drafts; staff said several previously requested building improvements were not included this year.

Recycling staff reported several capital needs including a new recycling truck with an estimated cost near $80,000 and increased line items for household hazardous-waste and tire-recycling events. Commissioners asked about hauling costs and how new line-item detail will be used for future budget planning; staff said the reorganization was designed to make those trade-offs clearer.