BUCYRUS, OH (CRAWFORD COUNTY NOW)—The Bucyrus City Council Service Committee met on Monday, and among the topics on the agenda were the solid waste (garbage pickup) rates. Committee Chairman Chris Maurtiz asked Safety Service Director Tommy Starner to explain the need for the rate hike. Starner approached the podium and then asked Kevin Myers to explain the need to increase the solid waste rates. Myers told the committee, “The rates at the landfill keep going up, and we anticipate they will keep going up. We’re also due to purchase a garbage truck.” Myers said.
Myers went on to tell the committee that rates have not been adjusted in some time (since 2009). “We did a little quick math and came up with $3.00,” Myers said. The rate would be across the board to all water customers. Bucyrus resident Bill Stuckert addressed the committee with serious concerns about how this rate increase will affect seniors and the disabled. Stuckert has reviewed the proposed budget and reminded the committee that the proposal for seniors in the budget was noted to raise from $12-$14.00 each month. He expressed concern at a $2.00 raise, much less three dollars, hitting those on a fixed income. “They (Seniors) don’t have an opportunity to increase their income. We’re getting more and more behind.” Stuckert said. Stuckert wants the rate frozen at $12.00.
Myers responded by saying, “Unfortunately, our costs at the landfill aren’t going to let us pay less. Stuckert replied: “Are you counting on the seniors to bail you out? Seniors don’t have that much trash. I can’t believe the city is that dependent on the seniors and disabled.” Stuckert said. Myers told Stuckert that his family of three doesn’t have that much trash either, but he didn’t feel it was fair to put the burden on those who are not on a fixed income. “I’d love to tell Rumpke that,” Myers said.
Crawford County Now has obtained an email sent by Blake Austin, Municipal and Public Sector Specialist with Rumpke Waste and Recycling. In the email, Mr. Austin makes it clear that Rumpke does not plan on raising the city’s rates; in fact, there is no rate increase planned at all in Crawford County:
“As I mentioned on the phone, effective 1/1/26, there will be a $2 per ton increase on OUT OF COUNTY material received at the Crawford County Sanitary Land. The disposal rate for material originating in Crawford County WILL REMAIN THE SAME. I believe we have signage stating as much near the scale house at the landfill and that may be where the confusion stems from. As I mentioned on the phone, we have not adjusted the in-county disposal fees in at least five years.”
Neither Starner nor Myers indicated the source of the information they received, prompting them to believe a rate increase was imminent or had been ongoing.
Mr. Stuckert’s advocacy did not fall on deaf ears with the committee, and they began to calculate a compromise. In the motion for emergency legislation, there was an amendment to raise regular households’ $3 per month, making their rate change from $18-21 monthly, and the senior rate will raise from $12.00-$13.50 per month.
The committee voted unanimously to order emergency legislation to be presented at tomorrow afternoon’s special council meeting. The special meeting is set for 4PM in the council chambers. The meeting was originally slated to address legislation regarding the airport. Now the agenda has several more components, including the sewer rate increase.