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Nash County staff recommend modest solid‑waste fee hike and a phased utility rate plan; board leans to smaller solid‑waste increase
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Summary
Staff proposed raising the rural household convenience fee and several utility rate options to cover higher hauling and wholesale costs; the board indicated support for the smaller solid‑waste increase and staff recommended Option 1 for water/sewer increases (12% water; 15% sewer + modest base fee increases).
County staff proposed a set of targeted fee changes for solid waste and utilities to address increased hauling and wholesale purchase costs and to preserve capital improvements.
Solid‑waste director Mike Phillips presented options to raise the rural household convenience fee from $155 to either $165 (option 1) or $170 (option 2). "Staff is recommending option 1, the $10 fee increase," Phillips said, showing that option 1 would generate about $198,006 in additional revenue while option 2 would generate about $297,915.
On utilities, staff described deficits in Central Nash water and sewer funds caused primarily by wholesale rate increases of about 15% from wholesale providers. Phillips offered three options for water and sewer rate changes; staff recommended Option 1: a 12% increase on water usage, a 15% increase on sewer usage and a $5 sewer base‑fee increase in FY‑27 (with another $5 in FY‑28). Under that scenario, Phillips said a typical residential water bill would rise about $5 and the average residential sewer bill about $14.85 under Option 1.
Commissioners asked about regional fee comparisons, service impacts and cumulative customer cost. Some commissioners calculated combined impacts for residents (water, sewer and the solid‑waste increase) and staff estimated average monthly increases on the order of $28–$45 depending on chosen scenarios and service mix. The board signaled support for the recommended, more moderate solid‑waste increase in the current budget cycle.
What happens next: staff will refine revenue estimates, provide comparisons for neighboring counties requested by commissioners and incorporate the chosen fee options into the recommended budget for presentation in May.
