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Bonner County staff propose small cut to solid-waste fee as programs stabilize
Summary
County budget staff proposed reducing the annual solid-waste fee, saying program changes and new systems will allow an initial reduction now and possibly another next year; commissioners asked for clarifying notes and flagged an inconsistency in the stated numbers.
Bonner County budget staff told the board they can reduce the annual solid-waste fee "comfortably" this year and consider another reduction next year as new programs stabilize. "We have determined that we could reduce the solid waste fee by $4 this year comfortably," a county presenter said, and later cited an example figure while discussing the budget.
The change was discussed as part of a broader budget review of the solid-waste enterprise fund. Staff emphasized the fund operates as an enterprise (fee-supported) service rather than from general-tax revenues, and that the fee appears as a separate line on property bills. Commissioners asked staff to add explicit explanatory notes to the budget materials so the public and auditors can see how the fee calculation was reached.
Commissioners pressed staff on the exact numbers after the initial statement: at one point the presenter said the change would move the fee "from $1.94 to $1.90," which the board flagged as inconsistent with an earlier spoken characterization of a "$4" reduction. Staff did not present a final adopted fee number during the hearing and the board requested written clarifications and supporting calculations before finalizing the fee schedule.
The board did not take a vote on the fee at the hearing; staff said they will bring clearer line-item notes and supporting spreadsheets back for the board to approve in the next budget cycle.
