Why Cumberland County and Fayetteville residents will pay more for trash
Editor's note: This story has been updated to reflect that the county's solid waste fee rose from $56 to $93 and that the Fayetteville City Council elected not to fund a new solid waste mechanic position.
City and county residents alike were hit with higher tax fees at the beginning of July after officials approved rate increases for the 2024 city and county budgets.
Cumberland County’s solid waste fee saw a $37 increase per year, while the city of Fayetteville’s annual fee increased by $40, according to budget documents.
Here’s everything you need to know about the new costs.
71.9% increase for the county
Cumberland County’s increase from $56 to $93 for its solid waste fee represented a 66% increase from the 2023 budget, according to a budget presentation by Cumberland County Manager Clarence Grier.
The fee is an annual cost billed to Cumberland County homeowners on their tax bill that allows them to use county landfills, container sites, compost facilities and a hazardous waste collection center, the budget states. The solid waste fee and tipping fees — the cost to dump waste in excess of 4 cubic yards at the county landfills — fund the county’s solid waste department, which “receives no tax dollars for its operation,” according to the county budget.
Tipping fees also saw the following changes:
$2 increase from $38 to $40 per ton for municipal solid waste.
$2 increase from $36 to $38 per ton for construction and demolition waste.
$2 increase from $40 to $42 per ton for mixed loads.
$4 increase from $18.50 to $22.50 per ton for yard waste.
17.78% increase for city
The Fayetteville City Council voted in June to approve an annual solid waste fee of $265, a 17.78% increase from the previous fiscal year’s $225 fee, according to the budget. Residents pay the fee through annual property taxes, and homeowners in the city must pay solid waste fees for the city and the county, city spokesperson Devon Smith said Thursday.
Similar to the county’s Department of Solid Waste, the city’s Solid Waste Division is primarily funded by that solid waste fee, which is charged to single-family homes and residential units in multi-family properties with seven units or fewer, the budget states.
The new fee is $15 less than the $280 annual solid waste fee requested by city employees for 2024, according to a May 18 presentation to City Council.
Why the increase?
The county’s solid waste fee increase is linked to operational costs for the Department of Solid Waste and the costs of expanding the Ann Street landfill, which will require the mining of an old balefill and the construction of a transfer station so waste can temporarily be taken to an alternative location, according to the Cumberland County budget.
The fee increase will also help fund “major improvements” to the Wilkes Road treatment and processing facility, the budget states.
The change in county tipping fees stemmed from increased operational expenses, according to the budget.
In Fayetteville, the solid waste fee will cover the cost of a response team for illegal dumping education and enforcement, estimated to cost $340,000 in its first year, according to the May 18 presentation.
Government watchdog reporter Lexi Solomon can be reached at ABSolomon@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: Cumberland County and Fayetteville budgets increase tax fees
