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Board approves budget amendment after landfill raises per-capita assessment
Summary
Wright County supervisors voted to amend the county budget to cover a landfill board decision that raised the per-capita assessment; supervisors also asked the landfill board to use current census data and to provide earlier notice of changes.
Supervisors discussed a notice from the Wright County area landfill board that the quarterly per-capita assessment would increase from $25 to $28 starting July 2026. County staff reported the notice arrived after local budgets were set, prompting concern about timing and which census year the landfill used to calculate per-capita charges.
During the discussion, a board member summarized the landfill board's position that some members preferred using the 2010 census, citing concerns about the completeness of the 2020 count. As one supervisor said, "If this letter would have said effective 07/01/2027, then that gives us time to say, okay. We need to work that into the budget next year" (speaker 2).
Board members noted that using older census numbers can raise per-capita charges for rural counties with declining population. Speaker 9 supplied figures: last year’s contribution was $72,225 and the new amount would be $80,892. To avoid service disruption, speaker 2 moved for a budget amendment to pay the bill while the county requests clarification from the landfill board; a second was recorded and the motion passed on a voice vote. The meeting record shows the board approved the interim budget amendment so the county could continue utilizing the landfill.
Supervisors directed staff to request the landfill board explain its data choice and to consider using 2020 census data in future rate-setting. The board did not change county policy beyond adopting the one-time budget amendment during this meeting.
