$15.6 Million From Waste Fund to Help Balance County Budget

Rejecting a possible compromise and spurning opposition from the county’s cities, the Orange County Board of Supervisors voted Wednesday to ease its budget crunch by taking $15.6 million from the solid waste enterprise fund.

The supervisors insisted that the money is repayment, with interest, of land and equipment it lent to the fund to help establish it in 1982.

The county chapter of the League of Cities, however, contended the money represents the county’s contribution to the fund, not a loan, and that removing it could bankrupt the fund if the state imposes new environmental regulations on garbage dumps.

Supervisor Gaddi H. Vasquez, backed by Supervisor Roger R. Stanton, offered a compromise in which $13.8 million would be withdrawn over three years, saying he was concerned by “vague and uncertain responses” by county staff members regarding the possible cost of environmental legislation that might be passed in Sacramento.

But Supervisors Harriett M. Wieder, Thomas F. Riley and Don R. Roth voted to withdraw the $15.6 million at once.

$9 Million for Jail

County officials said $9 million of the money would be used to pay for preliminary work on the 6,191-inmate jail the county plans to build. The rest will go to help balance the county budget.

County figures show that the solid waste enterprise fund has $29 million, but $10 million of that is restricted. Taking $15.6 million will leave a bit less than $4 million, according to the figures.

R. A. Scott, director of the county General Services Agency, said withdrawing the funds would mean that fees charged to county garbage dump users will probably be raised in late 1988 or early 1989. If the money were not withdrawn, the fees would not be raised until early 1990, he said.

Scott said, however, that even if the fees are raised, they will still be the lowest in the state. According to county projections, the typical monthly residential garbage bill of $6 to $7 will increase by about 50 cents.

Before 1982, the county paid to operate the dumps out of the general fund. But because the dumps were free and were being used extensively by businesses and residents of other counties, Orange County decided to start charging. It established the enterprise fund to pay for the dumps and restricted use of the fund money to solid waste.

Supervisors said the withdrawal is a one-time action and that the fund will not be tapped in the future.