Jackson County weighs options after unbudgeted $97,000 solid-waste fee hit

Jackson County officials on Oct. 27 debated how to cover an unexpected solid-waste cost that Director Schickler said would add about $6 per ton and produce roughly $97,000 in unbudgeted expenses if fully passed through in January.

"They're looking at $97,000 that we didn't budget for," Director Schickler said, summarizing the department's analysis of 2025 tonnage and pending tipping-fee changes. Schickler said the change results from a recent series of fee moves by neighboring landfills and municipalities and a new $1-per-ton state fee Scottsboro began passing to customers in August; another increase would push the county's exposure to roughly $6 per ton in January.

Schickler outlined four broad responses for commissioners to consider: absorb the cost temporarily; divert more loads to alternative transfer stations (Sylvania or a Sand Valley contract) to reduce per-ton expense; raise residential rates (a one-dollar monthly increase was presented as an example); or pursue longer-term investments such as building a county transfer station or franchising commercial front-load collection for new revenue.

He said shifting some loads to Sylvania would save about $36,000 annually under current arrangements but would still leave a gap. "Annual savings is about $36,000," Schickler said about increased use of the Sabangia/Sylvania option. By contrast, a transfer-station arrangement with Sand Valley could lower the county's per-ton cost enough to produce an estimated $140,000 in annual savings under one vendor's pricing, Schickler said.

Commissioners asked for clearer, apples-to-apples cost comparisons before choosing a path. Chair (Speaker 1) told staff to return in 30 days with detailed cost models for the options discussed, including: short-term rate scenarios (4% and 6% examples were discussed), anticipated savings from diversion, capital and operating costs of a transfer station, and potential revenue from franchising commercial services. Schickler flagged other operational changes as possible mitigation, such as returning to monthly billing to ease customer payment burdens and a new software system scheduled to go live in January.

Schickler also warned of supply and equipment costs: a new roll-off truck was priced at $249,000, and building a full landfill or major transfer station could cost multiple millions. He recommended commissioners weigh contracting for hauling versus investing in county-owned transfer infrastructure, noting the long-term liabilities of landfill ownership.

What's next: Commissioners asked staff to prepare detailed comparative cost analyses and rate-impact scenarios so the board can decide whether to implement a short-term rate increase, negotiate with neighboring facilities, create a transfer-station plan, or pursue franchise revenue to offset rising disposal costs.