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Mayors approve raise in dumping rates

People may note a bit more of pinch when they haul that Saturday load to the dump, beginning next summer when prices go up slightly.

The Regional Board of Mayors last week approved a raise in transfer station dumping rates from 6.2 cents a pound to 6.7 cents.

City Administrator of Electric City, Russ Powers, who prepared a proposed budget for the RBOM, said the income of the transfer station simply isn’t matching up with the expenditures.

“It’s just the cost of things,” Powers said. “Insurance, fuel, goods. More and more people are maybe driving to Ephrata to dump things.”

Powers at the Oct. 14 meeting explained to the group that their beginning fund balance for 2020 is set to be about $29,000 shy of total expenditures.

Powers suggested a raise of one full cent at the RBOM’s Oct. 14 meeting, which would bring in roughly $60,000, but Coulee Dam Mayor Bob Poch felt it would be better to ease into the increase by raising the charge by only half a cent, and then another half a cent in the future.

That half cent increase would bring in roughly $30,000.

Rates haven’t been raised in five years.

Currently, to take a load to the transfer station cost $12.40 minimum for up to 200 pounds, and 6.2 cents per additional pound, plus tax.

The increase will bring that price up to $13.40 for the first 200 pounds, and 6.7 cents per additional pound, plus tax.

Powers told The Star that Sunrise Disposal, which hauls area garbage to the station under contract with local cities, brings about $320,000 into the station, whereas regular citizen use brings in about $100,000.

The new rates won’t take effect until June or July of 2020.

The RBOM budget totals about $1.7 million.

 

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