Sullivan to revisit landfill importation

By DAVID HULSE

MONTICELLO, NY — With residents voicing complaints monthly at their meetings and an election just weeks away, Sullivan legislators last week agreed to review the numbers related to the county’s garbage importation program.

On October 2, the Public Works Committee approved a resolution directing County Manager Dan Briggs to “prepare a report on the potential impacts of reducing solid waste importation….”

Committee Chair Rodney Gaebel said that landfill finance issue is more complicated than the math proposed by importation opponents.

“It’s been said incorrectly that you can divide the $5 million in landfill revenues among Sullivan’s 64,000 property parcels and eliminate importation with an $80 per parcel tax increase.”

The county’s own projection would include 17.5 percent tax increase, Gaebel says. About $1.5 million in the importation fees annually goes to pay debt service and operating costs at the landfill. Only about $3.5 million goes into the general fund, he said.

“I’d be happy to listen to an alternative plan for replacing this money, but I have not heard one yet,” he said.