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Morton approves fuel-surcharge ordinance that will add $2.20 to utility bills amid high diesel prices
Summary
The board adopted Ordinance 17-05 to codify a 10% fuel surcharge tied to diesel exceeding $5 per gallon for 30 consecutive days; the director said this will add about $2.20 to the Morton utility bill in 2026 and affect 5,589 single-family dwellings.
The Village of Morton Board approved Ordinance 17-05 on a roll call vote to codify a fuel surcharge for the village’s garbage utility tied to diesel prices in the GFL contract.
Director of Public Works (speaker 4) explained the contract includes a 10% surcharge if diesel prices exceed $5 per gallon for a continuous period of 30 days. The director said regional diesel pricing rose above that threshold and was reported in the meeting as about $5.82 for the referenced week, triggering the surcharge. "So at this point, it would be 10% more, for GFL," the director told trustees.
The director said the resulting increase for 2026 would be $2.20 on Morton utility bills and that the adjustment applies to the village’s new garbage fund. He also said the ordinance codifies the mechanics of the surcharge into the municipal code and uses the published Midwest PAD 2 pricing as the reference.
The director said there are 5,589 enrolled single-family dwellings covered by the garbage fund that would see this change. Trustees called the roll and approved the ordinance.
The director noted the contract also included a lower-side protection in which a different threshold was referenced in negotiations; discussion clarified the surcharge applies when the published reference price exceeds $5 for 30 consecutive days and will revert when the price stays below $5 for the same consecutive period.
The board did not amend the contract terms at the meeting; it authorized codifying the surcharge in local ordinance.
