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Wilkes County board raises commercial landfill tipping fee to $85 per ton to fund Phase Six
Summary
The Wilkes County Board of Commissioners voted unanimously May 19 to raise the commercial landfill tipping fee to $85 per ton effective July 1, 2025, to help repay a loan for Phase Six construction and improve landfill financial stability compared with surrounding counties.
The Wilkes County Board of Commissioners voted unanimously May 19 to increase the commercial landfill tipping fee to $85.00 per ton, effective July 1, 2025. Commissioner Hardin Kennedy made the motion; Vice Chairman Bill Sexton seconded and the motion was approved unanimously.
County Manager John Yates and Landfill Director Anderia Byrd told the board the Phase Six landfill expansion is estimated to cost $7.4 million. Yates said the county is proposing to loan the Landfill $5,091,761 from the general fund; at $62 per ton the annual payback was projected at $1,530,000, but higher per-ton rates would accelerate repayment and provide additional funds for Phase Seven, which has an estimated cost of $7.1 million.
Byrd told the board that, according to a March study by the High Country Council of Governments (HCCOG), Wilkes’ per-ton rate is currently lower than most surrounding counties. Yates and Byrd modeled alternatives: an $80 per-ton fee would yield approximately $7.2 million in revenue; $85 per ton would yield about $7.65 million, allowing quicker loan repayment and a stronger cash position for future phases. Byrd said the $80–$85 range would “solidify for the Landfill the cost of doing business for the County.”
Commissioners discussed the potential pass-through impact to commercial haulers and whether those increases would translate into higher residential collection fees; Yates and Commissioner Kennedy said bag-trash and convenience-center fees for residents would not change. Kennedy argued a one-time increase reduces the need for multiple smaller increases over the next several years, saying, “the citizens of Wilkes County own the Landfill, a one-time increase like this keeps them from making several small increases over the next few years to pay for it.”
Action: Motion to increase commercial tipping fee to $85.00 per ton effective July 1, 2025. Motion by Commissioner Hardin Kennedy; seconded by Vice Chairman Bill Sexton. Outcome: unanimously approved.
Clarifying details noted in the meeting: Phase Six estimated construction cost $7.4 million; proposed internal loan amount $5,091,761; modeled revenues at $62, $80 and $85 per ton and comparison rates for several neighboring counties (examples provided by staff).
