A series of bills that could have done away with some funding and seriously curtailed the efforts of solid waste districts in Indiana have been either killed or gutted. The bills had caused major concerns with local officials who feared the could put an end to recycling efforts and raise the cost of getting rid of trash to area residents.
"This is a good deal and I am really pleased," said Laura Albertson, director of the Martin County Solid Waste District and Recycling Center. "The way they originally had the bills written would have marked the beginning of the end for solid waste districts in Indiana."
Daviess and Martin Counties operate very different solid waste districts, but both could have been adversely affected by a bill introduced by Indiana Sen. Luke Kenley (R-Noblesville). His proposal would have removed solid waste districts from the property tax rolls. That measure would have eliminated almost $387,000 from the operation of the Daviess County Landfill.
While Martin County has no landfill or property tax levy to pay for its solid waste operations, it does have a $2 per household or business monthly fee that is collected by the county on the property tax statements. Kenley's bill would have eliminated using the county to collect that fee. In Martin County that would have left officials trying to find another way to collect $98,850 that goes into the local operation.
"We would have had to set up an entirely separate collection system," said Albertson. "I don't have any idea how we would have done that. My suspicion is we would have had to charge a larger fee just to raise the same amount of money."
The Association of Indiana Solid Waste Management Districts announced that Kenley's Senate Bill 88 was dead and that a series of other bills, including one that passed out of committee earlier this week, would be changed.
"I believe the Senate heard from a lot of county commissioners, councilmen and members of solid waste district boards," said Albertson. "I think those were the people who the senators wanted to hear from and were willing to listen to."
One of the biggest worries about the loss of solid waste districts was about who would be responsible not just for everyday recycling programs, but specialty programs that take in hazardous household waste, e-scrap, and even road trash.
"Here, in Martin County, the road crew from the jail cleans out the ditches and they bring the trash to the recycling center," said Albertson. "If we weren't here, I don't know where that trash would wind up. The same is true with the hazardous household waste. We take it in and then take care of it."