News Release 4-30-14
The Board of Directors of the Joint Solid Waste Management District of Defiance, Fulton, Paulding and Williams Counties held their quarterly meeting on April 28, 2014. The Board determined and voted that the District must, of necessity, adopt a $2.00 per ton contract fee on all District-generated solid waste.
The District is currently updating its 15 year solid waste plan as required by law. A review of District finances showed that while the District had a one million dollar rainy day fund as of December 31, 2007, that balance had been reduced to $295,670.61 as of December 31, 2013. This reduction of the rainy day fund occurred in part because of a reduction in the volumes of waste disposed in District landfills due to recycling activities and the loss of out of state waste due to increases in the taxes on that waste. The District’s annual revenue has been reduced by approximately 50% from prior years.
Ohio law requires updated District Plans to demonstrate a balance between the expenses associated with the District’s mandated solid waste management, recycling and waste reduction programs and the reasonably expected revenue throughout the 15 year planning period. While the District’s solid waste plan incorporates the least expensive measures necessary to be effective and to comply with the State’s requirements, implementation of the programs would exhaust the remainder of the District’s rainy day fund without the addition of revenue from a contract fee.
The District’s Board of Directors also noted that the District’s successful implementation of its current solid waste plan has resulted in less waste being disposed of in the District’s landfills. Continuation of this trend may require the Board to seek additional revenue in the future as the solid waste laws mandate a reduction in waste disposal in landfills.
The next Board of Directors meeting will be held on June 9, 2014 at 1:00 p.m. in the Defiance County Commissioner’s Office, when the Board will consider additional information concerning the proposed contract fee.