BOWLING GREEN—Wood County is proposing higher rates at the Wood County Landfill, including a jump in the minimum charge for a load of trash from $15 to $25, and has scheduled three public hearings on Nov. 19 and Nov. 24, the county announced Nov. 10. The changes would apply to Weston-area residents, businesses and haulers who use the landfill, as they would to customers across the county.
What Would Change
If approved, the new rates would be phased in, tentatively on Jan. 1, 2027, and Jan. 1, 2028, according to the county. Its proposed rate sheet lists these changes:
- Solid waste by weight: $32.30 per ton now, $34.50 in 2027 and $36 in 2028
- Solid waste minimum charge: $15 to $25
- Construction and demolition materials: $32.30 per ton now, $39.90 in 2027 and $41.40 in 2028; minimum charge $15 to $25
- Yard waste: $20 to $30 per ton; minimum charge $5 to $20
- Concrete, brick and rock: $5 to $15 per ton
- Tires: passenger $4 to $6 each, semitrailer $8 to $10, tractor $25 to $50, plus a new $25 tire handling fee "as needed"
- Mattresses and appliances other than refrigerators: $10 to $20 each
- Refrigerators, including freon removal: $30 to $40 each
- Clean-out charge: $30 to $50
- Late charge minimum: $5 to $15
The sheet also adds fees that do not exist now: $500 for a house trailer, $250 for a boat on top of the by-weight rate, and $30 for an uncovered or unsecured load. One price would go down: screened wood mulch sold by the landfill would drop from $28.25 to $20 per ton.
Apart from the two by-weight rates, every change would take effect in 2027 with no further change in 2028. The base rates do not include fuel surcharges or fees required by other entities, including townships, the Wood County Solid Waste Management District and the Ohio EPA, the sheet says.
Why the County Says It's Needed
The county says the changes are meant to support the landfill's operation, maintenance, environmental compliance and long-term finances, including capital projects for future expansion. Many current rates "have remained unchanged for an extended period and are lower than many comparable facilities in the region," according to the rate sheet.
How to Comment
All three hearings are in the Commissioners' Hearing Room on the fifth floor of the County Office Building, One Courthouse Square, Bowling Green:
- Thursday, Nov. 19, at 9:45 a.m.
- Thursday, Nov. 19, at 5:30 p.m.
- Tuesday, Nov. 24, at 10:45 a.m.
Comments can also be emailed to Dan Scherger at dscherger@woodcountyohio.gov before the final hearing. The county says it is gathering feedback before any decision is made.
Sources: Wood County, "Rate changes proposed for Wood County Landfill," Nov. 10 · Wood County, proposed landfill rate sheet · BG Independent News, Nov. 11