County’s trash tax to rise $10 to pay for new facility

Marion County’s new transfer station will cost each residential property owner in the county an additional $19 per year.

Commissioners on Monday voted to raise the county’s solid waste assessment fee from $81 to $100 annually to pay for construction of a $1.44 million transfer station they approved in April.

“I’m not in favor of raising it, but we’ve got a project here,” commissioner Randy Dallke said. “If we raised it by $10 per year, maybe we would pay it off in 10 years.”

Commissioner Kent Becker voted against the increase.

“This is not the only expense the taxpayer has,” he said.

Residents still have to pay whoever hauls away their refuse.

“I don’t mind raising it some,” Novak said.

Dallke first moved to raise the fee by $20 per year, then amended his motion to charge $100 per year. The motion passed unanimously.

Transfer station construction has not yet been let out to bid, but work is expected to begin as early as November or December.