Countywide : Supervisors Delay Vote on Landfill Fee Hike

A plan that would increase sharply the fees charged to those who carry small amounts of waste by car or truck to the county’s three landfills is among revenue-raising proposals that the Orange County Board of Supervisors will consider in coming weeks.

The board was to vote on the garbage fee increase today but postponed action until Sept. 12 so that a study of landfill dumping patterns can be completed.

The proposal to raise the landfill fee has drawn criticism from some county officials, who say the new fees are excessive.

Drivers of cars now pay a flat fee of $5 to dump trash and debris. Truck drivers pay $10. County officials want to raise the charge to $20 for both cars and trucks.

Higher fees would have the greatest effect on gardeners, landscapers and contractors who use county landfills to deposit modest amounts of waste.

Officials from the Integrated Waste Management Department said the increases are needed, however, to make up for declining landfill business and increasing regulatory costs.

They said the proposed fee raises are in line with a recent increase in the fees paid by trash haulers.

Many haulers have passed along those increases to the cities they serve, resulting in higher fees for residents and businesses.

Deposits from cars and trucks make up only 4% of landfill revenue but account for 37% of daily landfill traffic, officials said.

By Sept. 12, the county hopes to complete a study of how much waste cars and trucks actually deposit at the landfills.