— 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.
Was this tax not initiated to pay off the county debt when they got out of the garbage business? Now that debt is paid off (by citizens) why is the tax not eliminated?
That’s a good question. It was a temporary tax to pay off the misguided acquisitions of the empire-builder former head of DPW.
Now what?
Hello?!? No word from officials or others? I thought surely I was wrong about this. . . no? Is Peg correct that this was a temporary tax? I thought so too. 13% is hefty, continuing, so now it’ll be absorbed into county budget henceforth, and we’ll get some garbage service in Eastsound & FH plus additional hazard waste efforts? And 13% higher costs?
Really? Please correct me if I’m wrong, I want to be! Otherwise, this is questionable ahem. Hello?!?