Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, March 2, 1990 TAG: 9003023247
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: B-3 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE:
DATELINE: BLACKSBURG LENGTH: Short
At a 1990-91 budget work session Thursday night, Town Manager Ron Secrist said the county is considering a $25 per ton tipping fee to offset the spiraling cost to localities of burying garbage in landfills.
"To go from zero to $25 per ton is a matter of about six figures for the town," Secrist said.
Rough estimates show the new tipping fees would cost the town about $88,000 to dump residential trash in the county's landfill. The town also would pay about $30,000 for the town's solid waste, such as construction debris and yard waste from maintaining public property.
Secrist unveiled his budget recommendations last Friday, including a proposed townwide recycling program that would cost $89,000, paid for by adding roughly $2 to citizens' monthly garbage bills.
That was before he knew about the county's proposal, discussed at a Saturday work session of the Board of Supervisors.
"I want to stress that . . . I'm not opposed to a fee in the future to help offset the county's landfill costs under the new regulations," Secrist said.
However, he said a drastic increase in citizens' garbage bills to pay for the recycling program and a tipping fee could result in illegal dumping. He said the town officials will likely get together with county officials to consider alternatives, such as a gradual increase in tipping fees.
- New River Valley bureau
by CNB