New trash fees: How will they affect you?
Hillsboro homes won't see much change, but businesses will
Waste, waste, everywhere — but what does it all mean?
Marion County has been swimming in the waste debate for some time now, but much of the talk has been confusing.
Let's forget the technical jargon. What does it all mean for the typical Hillsboro citizen?
Here's our attempt to put the new waste issues in layman's terms that we can all understand.
Why are our trash rates going to change?
On Tuesday, the County Commission officially bought Marion County's waste transfer station. That's where each city and town takes its garbage.
The county bought the station from KC Development at a cost of $825,000. Now that the county alone is operating it, the money that we pay for garbage disposal (not including pickup) will go toward the county, not toward KC Development.
To pay for the station, the county has established its own rates for disposal.
I own a house in Hillsboro. How will my trash bill change?
If you're a homeowner, here's the bottom line: Your overall trash bill will increase by only 50 cents per month. But this is the key: Your trash charges will come from two different places — the city and the county.
Right now, you probably pay $10.40 to the City of Hillsboro each month for trash. But when the new system kicks in, Hillsboro will drop its $6.25 fee for trash disposal. That leaves the portion you pay to the city at $4.15.
Once it that happens, the county will start charging you $81 per year. That averages out to $6.75 per month for disposal.
How will I pay the new trash disposal charge?
You'll pay the yearly bill of $81 in one lump sum. The bill will arrive at your mailbox with your property tax notice.
Will trash pickup days change?
No, the city will continue to collect your garbage as before on the same days.
When does the change go into effect?
January of 2003.
What if I rent my home or live in an apartment?
That's where it gets a little tricky. Since the $81 disposal fee goes to the person paying the property tax — the owner of the building — the renter will only see $4.15 in trash expense each month.
This goes for apartments, too. The county commission decided that each individual apartment unit in one building will be charged the full $81.
I own a business in Hillsboro. How will the change affect me?
Like homeowners, you'll still be charged the pickup fee — which depends on the number of Dumpsters/containers the city picks up during the week.
Here's an example: According to the city utility rates now, a business that has two cubic yards of trash picked up four times per week pays $33.75 each month. That fee now includes the pickup fee and the disposal fee.
But since the county will be handling disposal fees now, Hillsboro will drop the $10.50 dealing with disposal and just charge that business $23.25.
And the county has decided that there won't be any more "flat fee" charges for commercial trash — which could mean a big increase in disposal rates for some businesses.
How does the county decide how much my business will pay for garbage disposal?
The new method goes by "units" of trash. One "unit" equals two cubic yards of garbage.
For businesses with fewer than 10 units of trash per week, the charge is $132 per year — that's about $11 per month. That means an increase of just 50 cents per month from the previous flat fee.
But if you generate more trash than 10 units, you'll be charged $99 per year for every extra unit. That's $8.25 per unit.
The bottom line: If you have more than 10 units of trash each week, you will pay more for each extra unit.
What businesses will that hurt the most?
The new fee for businesses shouldn't hurt smaller businesses, but it could really hurt bigger ones.
For example, according to a list produced by the county commission, Tabor College produces the most trash of any "business" in the county. It could see sharp increases in its garbage disposal fees.
How can businesses prepare for the upcoming price increases?
By the end of November, each county business should receive an estimate of how much they'll owe for trash disposal. If they don't agree with the amount, they have until Dec. 1 to appeal to the county.
With these new, higher rates, how much money will the county get?
Early estimates say that with just under 4,900 homes in Marion County, the county will receive $394,000 from trash disposal fees from residences.
With about 680 businesses in the county, the county stands to take in at least $79,332 from commercial businesses. That amount, of course, could be much higher, depending on the amount of trash each business produces.
