SALISBURY – Wicomico officials voted this week to increase the tipping fees for a county landfill.
On Tuesday, the Wicomico County Council approved a resolution increasing the tipping fee at the Newland Park landfill from $60 per ton to $65 per ton.
Public Works Deputy Director Mark Whitelock said Wicomico had the lowest tipping fees of any county on the Lower Shore. Dorchester had a tipping fee of $62, while Somerset and Worcester had a tipping fee of $66 and $70, respectively.
The resolution presented to the council this week also included an increase in transfer station permit – or household permit – fees from $60 to $65. Councilman Joe Holloway, however, told Whitelock he disagreed with the recommendation.
“When we were talking earlier you said that you thought our tipping fee ought to be increased because we were getting people from other counties because we were less expensive. I agree with that,” he said. “But I don’t agree with the increase in the permitting fee … Every year we raise these fees – and we haven’t raised them in a while – we see an increase in trash along the roads.”
Councilman Bill McCain questioned if a $5 increase would change people’s behaviors. While he said he didn’t know, Holloway argued maintaining the permit fee at $60 would also help those financially impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I know when we started this back in the early 90s, the fee was $20 or $25, something like that, and the higher it goes the less people you have applying for permits,” he said. “Also, you have the issue of income this year … People are going to have less money to spend.”
A motion to amend the resolution by keeping transfer station permits at $60 passed 4-3, with Councilmen John Cannon, Josh Hastings and Bill McCain opposed.
When asked his opinions on the motion, Whitelock noted that transfer station permits constituted a small portion of solid waste fees that are collected. On average, he said, the department sells 8,100 household permits each year.
With no further discussion, the council then voted unanimously to approve the amended resolution, which increased tipping fees to $65 and maintained transfer station permit fees at $60.
