Another rate hike in the Solid Waste User Fee charged to all Reno County property owners was approved on Tuesday by the Reno County Commission.
The annual assessment will climb from $92 to $96 per year per household, effective on the November property tax statement.
It’s the second consecutive year that the commission has approved a $4 jump in the annual assessment, with a third, similar hike, also is planned for next year, bringing the fee to $100 by 2021.
The additional funding is necessary, according to the landfill staff and an outside consultant advised the commission, to start an expansion project in 2021 that will extend the landfill’s life out some 50 years.
It will also allow the county to maintain current operations at levels that meet state and federal landfill regulations.
The commission Tuesday also approved an annual update to the South-Central Solid Waste Management Plan, which covers trash disposal for Reno, Rice, and Kingman counties, as well as retaining SCS Engineers of Wichita as a consultant for another year.
(Read more: Local – The Hutchinson News)