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JACKSON – There will be a slight increase in the solid waste pickup fee for Northampton County citizens this year.

The Board of Commissioners voted to increase the fee during their meeting on Monday, August 5.

The proposal was first brought before the commissioners for consideration by the county’s Public Works Director Becky Turner on June 27. She explained that the county hasn’t increased their fee in a long time, while the company that does the trash pickup has continued to increase their price each year.

Turner reported that there was a deficit of $177,000 in the solid waste fund for the fiscal year which just ended (FY24).

To avoid another deficit in FY25, Turner proposed the rate increase.

Over 10,000 parcels throughout Northampton County are billed for solid waste pickup. In the past, that was at a yearly rate of $210.86. The increase will bring that total to $240 annually, which is a monthly increase of $2.43 compared to what citizens paid previously.

When the proposal was first brought before the board, Commissioner Kelvin Edwards suggested tabling their decision so that they would have time to spread the word about the proposal before the decision was made. He had cited earlier discussions during that meeting where citizens complained about a lack of information on things happening in the county.

The commissioners discussed the proposal again during the July 15 meeting, but they didn’t take any action on it then.

During the Aug. 5 meeting, Turner laid out the details of the proposal once more, noting that the increased fee “should accommodate us to pay the expected expenditures for this year’s budget.”

“It is what it is,” said Board Chair Charles Tyner, who placed the blame for the increase on the trash pickup company’s continued rate increases.

The county’s contract with the company, GFL Environmental Service, ends June 2025.

Commissioner Ed Martin motioned to approve the increased fee, and Melvetta Broadnax Taylor seconded. The vote passed unanimously among the board members at Monday’s meeting.

Edwards and Commissioner Geneva Faulkner were unable to attend the meeting.

The solid waste fee is included on the annual tax bill for Northampton County residents who receive trash pickup service.