— by Margie Doyle —

On Monday, Dec. 7, San Juan County Council voted to reduce the solid waste tax for San Juan and Orcas Islands, and possibly Shaw Island, by 1.5%.

(The three main islands have separate operational structures for their solid waste programs: San Juan is contracted through Lautenbach Recycling; Orcas Island is run by the non-profit Orcas Recycling Services/The Exchange; and Lopez Island’s solid waste program is operated by a local taxing district),

The reduction to 14.5% tax is tied to paying off the county’s solid waste debt, said Council Member Rick Hughes.  Ongoing, that tax collection will be used in part to pay for Lopez Village and Eastsound garbage pickup and for improved hazardous waste pickup.

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