Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Solid Waste topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
County warns of solid-waste shortfall; staff to propose modest rate increases to balance enterprise funds
Summary
County staff said the solid-waste enterprise fund is projecting about a $100,000 shortfall and recommended modest per-household fee increases to achieve self-sufficiency; staff will review water fund rates next.
County finance staff told commissioners the solid-waste enterprise fund is projecting a shortfall for the current year and recommended rate adjustments to make the sanitation enterprise self-sustaining.
"I'm predicting we'll be, close to a $100,000 shortfall in solid waste this year," the finance presenter warned. The finance staff proposed a modest rate increase as an example to close the gap: raising the quarterly cart fee by about $15 (equivalent to approximately $5 per month) would move the fund toward break-even in the staff's illustrative calculation.
Staff said the county previously used accumulated fund balance to help water and sanitation capital needs, but those balances are being drawn down for projects; the county now needs to reestablish a stable rate structure so enterprise funds no longer require general-fund support. Finance staff said the proposed sanitation change would keep the county roughly aligned with the nearby city rate ($60 per quarter cited for the city) and preserve a discounted rate for qualifying seniors or mobility-limited residents who receive door-to-door service.
Commissioners asked staff to bring back a formal rate proposal with customer-class impacts and phasing options before any change is advertised for public notice.
