Proposed Hike in Ohio Solid Waste Disposal Fee Could be Passed on to Residents
Fiscal analysis of the bill filed as House Bill 463 found that raising the fee from 25 cents to 50 cents could raise the cost of waste collection for smaller cities or villages as much as four times amount they currently pay.
SEATTLE (Waste Advantage): A plan that calls for a 25-cent increase of a fee collected on the transfer or disposal of solid waste in Ohio may help underfunded Soil and Water Conservation districts at the cost of customers who could pay more for garbage pickup.
Fiscal analysis of the bill filed as House Bill 463 found that raising the fee from 25 cents to 50 cents could raise the cost of waste collection for smaller cities or villages as much as four times amount they currently pay.
“Smaller political subdivisions, such as the city of Piqua and city of Centerville, indicated the bill will increase waste collection costs by $1,000 to $4,000,” Shannon Pleiman wrote for the Ohio Legislative Service Commission’s analysis of the bill. “To offset the impact of the fee increase, these political subdivisions could raise waste collection fees paid by their customers.”
HB 463 sponsor Rep. Sarah LaTourette, R-Chesterland, has proposed the increase to make up for state matching funds which have all but dried up in recent years.
In testimony before House Energy and Natural Resources Committee members, the lawmaker explained the state’s Soil and Water Conservation districts historically have been funded through a combination of local and state matched funding with a goal of a 1-to-1 match.
“Local governments have done their best to remain strong and provide funding to the Soil and Water Conservation districts despite decreases in the local government fund,” LaTourette said. “Unfortunately, state match funding has diminished over the years and districts have been unable to replace or add vital personnel during these critical times.
“Over the past 10 years, state match has dropped from a high of 98.5 percent to a low this year of 70.6 percent,” equating to a $4 million dollar shortfall.
As the slump in funding continues, she said, the need for local technical expertise to landowners continues to rise.
“A state funding increase of about $4 million would be necessary to get to the desired funding level of approximately $14.5 million,” LaTourette said.
As the OLSC found, any increase in the per-ton fee would increase costs for local political subdivisions. Pleiman estimated Columbus’ increased cost of waste collection would be $75,000 annually.
Short of making up the difference from another revenue stream, raising the waste collection fees customers pay may be the only, if unpopular, option.
“Alternatively, political subdivisions could encourage residents to reduce household waste or implement recycling programs in order to reduce the volume of solid waste collected,” Pleiman noted.
LaTourette said efforts to get state matching funds back to the desired level are worthwhile.
“The loss of state support reduces the capabilities of addressing the resources needed throughout the counties which Soil and Water Conservation districts represent,” she said. “The loss of state support also produces a greater burden on local funding resources, which will lead to the further erosion of critically needed dollars, and it will harm Soil and Water Conservation districts’ education outreach to teach and train individuals on the importance of conservation practices. Practices that are necessary in order to sustain our economy and quality of living.”
Courtesy: https://wasteadvantage.com