Wilson County solid waste director seeks equipment, flags tipping‑fee and landfill capacity pressures

Andy Davis, director of Wilson County Solid Waste, presented the district’s operating budget and capital requests to the Wilson County Board of Commissioners, highlighting construction and disposal pressures at county convenience centers and the landfill.

Davis said district priorities include construction of landfill phases C and D and increased options for recycling construction and demolition (C&D) debris and yard waste as county growth increases disposal volumes. He told commissioners the district may need to go out for bids for construction work because the department has been short a heavy equipment operator and has struggled to hire qualified operators.

On revenue and fees, Davis said the Solid Waste District tax and household fees will remain unchanged. He told the board the district receives revenues from district tax, household fees, sales tax receipts and other sources (a number quoted in the presentation appeared as "approximately 2,600,000,000.0 per year" in the delivered remarks). Davis said the budget assumes a disposal cost of $53.10 per ton at the contractor (a 2.3% CPI‑linked increase) and proposed increasing the municipal solid waste tipping fee by $1 per ton to help offset disposal costs.

Davis described capital outlay requests including two compactors for Rock Ridge (Site 4), three 40‑yard open top containers, three 10‑yard open top containers (combined request $74,037), a new Mack roll‑off truck estimated at $261,000, and a front‑end loader replacement estimated at $230,000. He said older trucks (units from 2008 and 2014) have high mileage and that the department had to operate with a single truck for about three months after an accident this year.

Davis also reviewed program details: continued recycling and electronic waste handling without a consumer fee (he said the county’s negotiated contract separates electronics streams to obtain better rates), tire disposal challenges tied to state law and cross‑county movements of used tires, and a line‑item for a landfill financial assurance reserve. He noted the municipal solid waste contract expires in June 2027 with a possible five‑year extension and said the board’s committee would discuss MSW contract options at the next committee meeting.

During Q&A, commissioners asked for clarification on the municipal solid waste tipping fees, the status of scrap tire disposal, and how interest on investments is calculated for district revenues. Davis said the tire situation will require legislative change to address out‑of‑county tire deliveries and tax distribution, and explained the department’s approach to recycling electronics and negotiating vendor contracts.

Davis closed by noting total district budget and that landfill budget capital fluctuations accounted for a reported 10.5% decrease year‑over‑year driven by last year’s capital purchases; he answered follow‑up questions and concluded his presentation.