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Council advances sanitation-rate ordinance after budget concerns; first reading approved
Summary
On first reading the council approved an ordinance to raise the town sanitation charge (Waste Management CPI notice); the proposed new monthly charge was reported as $21.25 and staff said an effective date will likely be Oct. 1 after second reading. Council debate highlighted a roughly $65,000 shortfall in last year’s garbage line, raising questions about revenue accounting and future rate pressure.
Batesburg-Leesville — The town council approved on first reading an ordinance establishing a new sanitation rate after a staff report that Waste Management had notified the town of a 4.9% CPI increase.
Staff presented figures and said the current sanitation charge was recorded in the packet as "2001" and the new monthly charge will be $21.25 going forward; staff and council clarified that the effective date will likely be Oct. 1 because the ordinance requires a second reading in September.
Council member Mr. Hall pressed staff for detail on the sanitation line’s budget performance, saying the town’s payments last year were $606,000 while recorded revenues were approximately $541,000, creating a deficit of roughly $65,000. "That’s a $65,000" gap, Mr. Hall said while asking staff to reconcile whether a month’s receipts had not been posted or if other posting issues explain the shortfall.
Town staff acknowledged the timing of postings and offered to follow up with finance to resolve discrepancies. "I'll get with finance and inquire about that," Mr. Hall said; staff noted that sanitation collections are processed through the utility and later transferred.
Miss Hartley noted that population increases could mean the town should expect annual rate increases in the future and that a larger customer base may not prevent future CPI-driven rises. Council discussed the remaining term of the Waste Management contract (reported as expiring in 2028) and the opportunity to negotiate at renewal.
The first reading passed on a roll-call-style count: districts 1, 2, 6, 7 and 8 and the mayor voted yes; districts 3, 4 and 5 voted no. Council did not set a final effective date during the meeting; staff said the new rate would start after final adoption and the town’s billing cycle is expected to reflect the change after the second reading.
Council asked staff to provide clearer revenue-to-expense reconciliation and to confirm the contract expiration and what leverage the town will have at renewal.
