After Sparta stops collecting $5 utility waste fee, commissioners debate who should pay

Committee members discussed the future of a $5 monthly solid‑waste convenience‑center fee after the City of Sparta told the county it would no longer collect that charge on the city's utility bills. County staff and the County Executive said the $5 fee funds convenience‑center operations (collection and center upkeep), not the landfill's closure/post‑closure escrow.

Commissioners and members of the public said the change raises fairness questions: city residents who receive curbside sanitation already pay a separate sanitation fee and may not be using county convenience centers, while county residents pay the $5 on electric bills to access convenience centers. The County Executive said the contract with the private operator included provisions to allocate some financial value to the city so it would not be disproportionately disadvantaged, but commissioners noted that if the city and some cooperatives stop collecting the fee, the county has the legal authority to bill those customers directly or consider other collections mechanisms.

Several commissioners urged caution: host‑fee revenue from the private operator is expected to begin when the operator starts taking waste but will phase in; host and success fees are not guaranteed until permits and airspace expansions are secured. Multiple commissioners recommended waiting until host fees begin to run (staff estimated partial rolling in by mid‑year and near full potential by July/August) before changing the $5 fee or moving to a property‑tax solution.

The committee did not adopt a permanent policy change. Commissioners directed further discussion in committee and asked staff to return with financial scenarios that show the effect of (1) continuing the $5 fee countywide, (2) direct billing for city accounts, and (3) using host/success fees to cover convenience‑center operations.