BUCYRUS, OH (CRAWFORD COUNTY NOW)—A proposal to purchase two automated garbage trucks is expected to be one of the most heavily discussed topics during Thursday night’s committee meetings, as questions continue to surround both the necessity of the vehicles and the actual savings the city expects to achieve.
On Thursday morning, Crawford County Now received spreadsheets and supporting information from City Auditor Kali Lewis that had been distributed to Bucyrus City Council members and city administration. The documents outline long-term projections for the city’s Solid Waste Fund under two scenarios: continuing with the current three-person garbage truck operations or transitioning to automated one-person trucks.
A review of the spreadsheets suggests the city’s primary financial motivation may not simply be replacing aging equipment, but significantly reducing long-term labor costs tied to garbage collection operations.
While Lewis repeatedly stresses in her email that the plan is not intended to result in layoffs of current employees, the projections clearly rely on reducing payroll expenses through attrition, retirement, reassignment, and the possibility of employees leaving city employment over time.
In her email to council and administration, Crawford County Now, and others Lewis wrote:
“I believe this shows how the reduction in personal services outweighs the cost for the loan payment.”
The spreadsheets compare the current staffing model, which utilizes two three-person garbage trucks, against a proposed automated system requiring one operator per truck. Under the projections, labor costs remain the largest expense within the Solid Waste Fund.
According to the projections, the city estimates approximately $26,000 annually in contractual service savings in addition to significant long-term payroll reductions.
The documents indicate one city position is already vacant, another employee could potentially transfer into another open city or county position, and remaining staffing reductions would occur gradually through retirements or normal turnover. Lewis does not frame the plan as terminating employees, but rather as reducing the number of positions funded through the Solid Waste Department over time.
The spreadsheets also warn that rate increases may still become necessary.
Lewis noted in her email:
“We would be discussing rate increases in 2029 to take place in 2030, and though those rates may still beat privatization.”
The projections further state that even maintaining current trucks and staffing levels would eventually drive the Solid Waste Fund into deficit.
Lewis added:
“Even if we were to keep the current trucks and current staffing levels the fund will still end in the negative in 2035 and we would want to start discussing rate increases in 2032 to take place in 2033, and this is without factoring in the increased maintenance to the current geriatric (older) vehicles.
The spreadsheets argue that although the automated truck plan requires substantially higher upfront equipment costs and larger loan payments, the reduction in staffing expenses would stabilize the Solid Waste Fund long-term and potentially delay or reduce future rate increases.
Critics, however, may view the proposal differently.
While city officials have largely discussed the proposal in terms of replacing aging garbage trucks, the spreadsheets appear to show the broader financial strategy centers on reducing labor expenses associated with refuse collection.
Committee meetings are scheduled for Thursday evening, where council members are expected to further discuss the proposed truck purchase and the financial projections tied to the plan. Crawford County Now will continue to follow this developing agenda.