Board reviews five-year forecast and recommends no fee increases for 2027

Heber presented the district's five-year financial forecast and a proposed schedule for the 2027 budget process, asking the board for direction on policy priorities and timing. He described key assumptions — no fee increases, 5% annual growth in commercial and residential services, a 5.5% annual increase in personnel costs and adding a new position and truck roughly every other year tied to route thresholds — and noted staff built a small contingency for one-off costs.

Heber said the report shows an $8.5 million ending fund balance before removing the value of assets, resulting in a present unrestricted fund balance ratio of about 36%. "The key takeaway from this is you'll be able to see that the district does remain financially strong with steady increase in a fund balance," Heber said, while cautioning the forecast does not include large capital project costs such as a new transfer station. Staff recommended continuing the free June community drop-off (noting a roughly $25,000 revenue impact) and finalizing funding and scheduling for the transfer station as priorities to address in the upcoming budget cycle.

Board members asked for more detail on onboarding costs for new drivers and trucks and whether the forecast allows phasing of capital projects; Heber said setup costs were included in the forecast's base and that the board will reassess each year whether to add positions. The board set tentative next steps: a tentative budget presentation on Oct. 14 and a public hearing in the evening on Nov. 11, with a possible special meeting to act on the budget afterward.