A year after increasing garbage fees by $1, the Marion County Board of Supervisors may raise fees again after facing an increase themselves.
Last week, during budget discussions as the Board set the tax levy and budget for the 2017-18 fiscal year, a looming fee increase by the county’s waste service provider, Waste Pro, was discussed.
Through a contractual agreement, costs were expected to increase 11 percent, a figure that concerned Board members. Waste Pro officials agreed to consider splitting the increase and a future increase over two years, meaning the county’s share this year would be around 8 percent.
During Monday’s meeting at the Board offices on Courthouse Square, Board Attorney Joe Shepard spoke of the county’s options.
“If you want to do something by Jan. 1, 2018, you need to do it soon,” he said. “We could put it (announcement) on the bills and would advertise it in the paper.”
The Board then voted to accept the Waste Pro increase for 2017-18 of 8 percent.
The Board meets again in regular session on Oct. 2, but has until Sept. 30 to amend the budget.
The Board also voted to close McGowan Cutoff, a road in District 3 with three homes on it. The road will become a private access road to the homes and will no longer be maintained by the county. Nobody was present for a hearing on the closure, which took place at 10 a.m. Monday.
In other actions, the Board:
• Appointed Aaron Greer as the Marion County arson investigator.
• Approved attendance for a correctional facility staff member to attend a meeting for case managers at the Central Mississippi Correctional Facility.
• Heard a report from Tax Assessor/Collector Teresa Terrell.
• Approved a hauling permit for Jefferson logging.
• Approved applications for a Mississippi Emergency Management Grant. The filing is a yearly occurrence.
• Approved the attendance of Marion County Veterans Service Officer Dewey Blansett at the annual VSO School, which is to be held in Biloxi.
• Discussed leases of property located at the Marion County BusinessPlex.
The next regularly scheduled meeting of the Marion County Board of Supervisors is set for Oct. 2 at the Board offices on Courthouse Square. n
