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Council approves CSWD FY26 budget; district to raise solid-waste fee to $40/ton to help fund MRF project
Summary
Chittenden Solid Waste District presented an FY26 budget balanced near $16.2 million and asked member municipalities to approve raising the solid-waste management fee from $30 to $40 per ton to close a roughly $4 million funding gap for a new MRF project. South Burlington voted to approve the budget.
Sarah Reeves, executive director of the Chittenden Solid Waste District, briefed the council on the district’s FY26 budget and a proposed fee increase to help fund a new materials-recovery facility (MRF) project.
"For our fiscal 26 budget, we are, anticipating revenue in the amount of $16,200,000," Reeves told the council and described a tight budget with expenses planned just under $16 million. She explained a funding shortfall for the MRF project—largely from the loss of an intended building site and inflation—and proposed raising the district’s solid-waste management fee from $30 per ton to $40 per ton. Reeves said the increase would generate roughly $1.5–$1.7 million per year and help close the gap without adding long-term debt.
Reeves walked councilors through why other funding approaches (per-capita assessments, large per-ton increases, or new long-term debt) were not recommended; the $10/ton increase, she said, would translate to “just under $4 a month” on an average household bill. Councilors asked about capacity and trends; Reeves described diversion efforts and an emphasis on organics and recycling to reduce landfill tonnage. The council approved the CSWD budget and fee change by a unanimous voice vote.
