Officials say landfill expenses exceed revenue by $315,000; commissioners asked to consider fee increases

County landfill staff told commissioners the solid-waste budget is currently about $315,000 short of balancing revenue and expenses and offered a menu of fee changes to help close the gap.

The director explained that part of the shortfall reflects higher hauling and operating costs and the county’s effort to begin servicing remote sites in-house, which duplicates some existing hauling expenses. "The total budget, the expenses exceed our revenue by $315,000 at this point," the director said.

To increase revenue the department proposed specific fee changes: raising the base cubic-yard fee (examples given included a proposed $4 increase across top items), increasing the charge for unsorted demolition/construction loads (a proposed unsorted rate described as moving from a combination of $16+$8 to $24+$12, which would bring an unsorted load to $36), increasing stump fees (from prior $45/$100 to proposed $200 for large loads), starting a $2.50-per-tire charge (estimated to generate about $62,000 a year), and charging for commercial brush/wood waste (estimated roughly $200,000 a year if implemented). The director also suggested surveying businesses for correct refuse assessments and noted some properties with multiple dwellings are currently being undercharged.

The department did not request immediate adoption of the fees at this meeting; instead staff asked commissioners to put the proposed fee schedule on a future agenda. Staffers said the proposed changes would help balance the current year’s budget and extend landfill life (the expansion would add about 29–30 years based on recent use projections) but would not create a large equipment-replacement reserve.

No motion or vote occurred; commissioners expressed interest in the concepts and asked for additional details ahead of any regulatory or fee-setting action.