Commissioners explain planned increases to solid-waste availability fees in FY2025-26 budget

Currituck County commissioners discussed and confirmed planned increases in solid-waste availability fees as part of the FY2025-26 budget discussion on June 11.

County staff summarized the 2021 solid-waste rate study by Raftelis that recommended annual increases to availability fees. The county manager said that, “the availability fee ... is increasing from $256 to $265” for most accounts and that Corolla door-to-door service in the southern Outer Banks will increase from $467 to $483. Staff said these are user fees — not increases to the countys ad valorem property tax.

Context: the county adopted the policy to phase increases after the 2021 study. Commissioners were told recycling and solid-waste disposal costs have been rising and the scheduled increases are intended to keep the solid-waste system on stable footing. The manager also told the board that a new rate study for solid waste and for water and wastewater will be conducted in the upcoming fiscal year.

Decision and next steps: the fee increases are included in the manager-proposed budget and will be implemented as described; the board did not change the tax rate, and staff will proceed with the planned rate study next year.

Ending: Staff said fee details are available in the budget narrative (cited page 39 of the PDF) and that the increases reflect prior board-adopted recommendations from the Raftelis study.