Residents to Pay Waste Fees?

A recent article, “Dutchess loses waste expert at crucial time” in the Poughkeepsie Journal, talks about legislative proposals to add a standard waste fee for households.

Under the solid waste user fee proposal, residential units would pay a standard fee per household unit, while higher waste generators would pay a higher fee per square foot. Properties could be classified as anything from residential to parking garages to minimarts. The user fee would replace the net service fee the county was obligated to pay the agency.

While shifting fees to residents is not a bad idea, as it may involve citizens more actively in waste decisions, a standard fee offers no incentive to reduce waste.

Legislator Joel Tyner, D-Clinton, has concerns about the user fee. He said the user fee doesn’t reward households that compost and recycle because residential units would have to pay a standard fee. “It’s not fair,” Tyner said. “It’s not fair that tens of thousands of households would be paying the same user fee, regardless of whether they compost or recycle.” Tyner, who headed the Green Ribbon Task Force on Solid Waste Management, said he wants a “zero waste” expert to prepare a report on how the county can reduce waste as much as possible by recycling and composting.