Commissioners approve order allowing Waste Management to include local landfill in $120 million tax-exempt bond financing

Guadalupe County Commissioners Court approved an order authorizing Waste Management Inc. to use proceeds of tax-exempt bonds to fund improvements at multiple solid-waste disposal facilities, including the county's landfill.

Lee McCormick, municipal adviser for Community Development Associates, told the court the financing would allow Waste Management to issue up to $120 million of tax-exempt bonds in Texas for 14 facilities. McCormick said roughly $7 million of the allocation is earmarked for improvements at the Guadalupe County landfill. "Approval of this order does not obligate the county in any way, shape or form with regards to the bonds," McCormick said, adding the transaction would keep disposal costs down by lowering Waste Management's financing costs.

Byron Turner, a local operations representative for Waste Management, attended the meeting. Commissioners discussed the county's previous dealings with Waste Management and cited a working relationship with the company. The order was presented as largely ministerial; court members noted the facility is used heavily due to population growth.

The court voted to approve the order without recorded opposition.

McCormick said the 2025 financing is part of a three-year plan and that the Texas Bond Review Board awarded $50 million toward projects in the group of counties. He also listed other counties and municipalities that had already approved the same authorization.

County officials said the order simply acknowledges the company's intent to include the local facility in a larger bond issuance and does not create county liability.