Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, March 12, 1991 TAG: 9103120196
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-2 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: CATHRYN McCUE/ NEW RIVER VALLEY BUREAU
DATELINE: CHRISTIANSBURG LENGTH: Medium
"It wasn't just something we could put aside now and do later," said Henry Jablonski, chairman of the Board of Supervisors, Monday.
The county has already begun engineering studies to upgrade the midcounty landfill, located off U.S. 460 between Christiansburg and Blacksburg, he said. The county is proposing a 73 percent increase, from $15 per ton to $26 per ton of trash, for the upcoming fiscal year.
The towns, both of which charge its residential customers for curbside collection, will have to pay more.
In a joint letter to Jablonski, the towns asked that the fee remain at $15, or be increased to just $20 a ton.
The Feb. 28 letter noted that the General Assembly had extended a deadline for localities to meet strict state environmental regulations on public landfills by 18 months. The bill has not yet been signed into law by Gov. Douglas Wilder.
"We are writing to inquire about the feasibility of the County granting the Towns similar relief. . ." the letter said.
Town governments are financially strapped, as are cities and counties, and also struggle with a recession and state budget cuts, the letter said.
It was signed by Blacksburg Mayor Roger Hedgepeth and Christiansburg Mayor Harold Linkous.
Jablonski said the board discussed the towns' request at a budget meeting last week.
"It was the board's feeling that we just weren't able to change it at this time." He said the county already is hundreds of thousands of dollars behind in its total budget for next year.
On reducing the increase to $20, Jablonski said the majority of board members were "not willing to compromise."
He said that last year - the first time the county has levied a dumping fee - the board had considered $25, but settled on $15 to reduce the impact to residents.
Christiansburg customers saw their monthly bill double, from $2.50 to $5 for garbage pickup. Town Manager John Lemley said he hadn't started working on the 1991-92 budget yet.
"But obviously, we'll have to pass some, if not all, of that cost on to the citizens," he said.
Blacksburg also raised collection fees last year, by $2.50 bimonthly to cover the fee. Town Manager Ron Secrist has proposed that, rather than raise the consumer cost again, the town reduce its pickup from twice-a-week to once-a-week.
by CNB