Morrow County adopts emergency amendment letting surplus solid‑waste fees support public works and general fund

The Morrow County Board of Commissioners on May 6 adopted an emergency ordinance amending the county’s 2006 solid‑waste plan to clarify permissible uses of license fees and revenues.

County staff told the board the ordinance corrects a drafting discrepancy that had been interpreted to restrict solid‑waste fees to narrow solid‑waste expenditures. The administration said the historical intent — and the county’s practice for about two decades — was to allow surplus license fees to fund public‑works projects or be transferred into the general fund when not required for core solid‑waste operations.

During a full reading of ORD‑2026‑06, staff said the change would not impose new fees or raise rates; it instead specifies that “any surplus license fees not required for these purposes may be transferred to the Morrow County general fund or work accounting funds as determined during the annual budgetary process.” The administration urged the single‑reading emergency adoption to avoid timing conflicts with the budget process.

Commissioners discussed the history of prior transfers and the administrative need to clear the legal language before building the FY‑27 budget. No members of the public provided comment during the hearing. The board voted to adopt the ordinance as an emergency measure effective on passage.

The ordinance reading also ratified prior expenditures the county had made from license fees dating back to earlier years, according to the staff presentation. The change is intended to give the county clearer authority during annual budget preparation to allocate surplus solid‑waste revenue to capital and public‑works needs.

The county administration said staff will include the clarified usage language in the budget recommendations and follow the county’s annual budget process for any transfers or allocations.

The ordinance was read and adopted at the meeting; next steps include updating the solid‑waste management plan documents and reflecting the amendment in the FY‑27 budget materials.