Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, January 14, 1994 TAG: 9401140267
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: B4 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: JOEL TURNER STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
So say Dels. Victor Thomas and Clifton "Chip" Woodrum, both Democrats from Roanoke.
Thomas, a member of the House Appropriations Committee, said he, too, was taken aback by Gov. Douglas Wilder's proposal for a fee of $10 a ton on trash dumped in a landfill or burned in an incinerator.
"That is going to be looked at very closely, and I would say that won't pass," Thomas said this week.
Roanoke knew its landfill dumping costs would increase by about $1.5 million a year to pay for a new landfill and trash train.
The dumping fees have been increased from $20 to $50 a ton to finance the $42 million trash disposal system.
What city officials did not expect was the proposed $10-a-ton state surcharge. There was a little-noticed provision in the state's proposed budget that would impose the fee.
Because Roanoke generates about 50,000 tons of trash a year, the fee would amount to $500,000.
Salem, Roanoke County and other localities in Western Virginia apparently would face similar increases in trash disposal costs.
The Virginia Municipal League has sent cities a legislative advisory about the proposal.
"This is not the way to help local governments," Herbert told the city's representatives in the General Assembly at a recent meeting to discuss the city's legislative requests.
"These are the kinds of things which kill us," Herbert said.
The proposed fee came as the city was trying to meet the state's mandate to recycle 25 percent of its trash.
"We are struggling to get the trucks and manpower for recycling and now we are faced with this additional cost," Herbert said.
Woodrum said he doesn't believe the fee will be very popular with legislators. "Some things won't fly," he said.
Keywords:
GENERAL ASSEMBLY 1994
by CNB