Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Solid Waste topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Lincoln County commissioners postpone vote on proposed landfill fee increase to clarify assessment rules
Summary
After a public hearing on Resolution 2025-26, which would raise the annual residential refuge assessment to $200 with a 2.5% annual escalation for five years, commissioners agreed to delay a final vote for one week so staff can determine whether the assessment can be applied to undeveloped parcels or must be limited to developed properties.
The Lincoln County Board of Commissioners on Aug. 13 held a public hearing on Resolution 2025-26, a proposed revision to the county’s landfill fee schedule that would set the annual residential refuge assessment at $200 and increase that base by 2.5% each year for five years.
Mr. Hammonds read the resolution into the record, citing Montana Code Annotated sections used in the draft, and said the changes are intended to ensure long-term sustainability, safety and accessibility of the county’s solid-waste system. “The board finds and determines that the annual residential refuge assessment provides a special benefit to assist properties throughout the provision of the solid waste disposal service,” the resolution text states, and it directs the Lincoln County Health Department to implement the charges effective Oct. 1, 2025.
Members of the public raised questions about how the assessment is applied to parcels. An online commenter summarized concerns raised at a prior meeting, noting that some residents believe the assessment should apply to all assessment codes — including undeveloped parcels where owners camp or later build — rather than only to developed dwellings. Staff responded that current practice adds the refuge assessment when a dwelling is “50% or more completed” and that they will review the relevant MCA citations to determine whether the assessment may be extended to undeveloped parcels.
Commissioners paused the matter after debate about the legal and fiscal implications of expanding the assessment base. One commissioner said applying the charge to all assessment codes would “change a lot of numbers” and materially increase the number of assessed parcels; another urged taking a week to research the statutory interpretation rather than adopt the resolution immediately. The board voted to postpone the final vote for one week so staff can confirm whether the assessment is limited to developed property under state law.
The public hearing is complete and the matter will return to the board’s agenda next week. No final action was taken Aug. 13; the board’s decision after the additional legal review will determine whether the resolution is revised before a vote.
