Township Budget – Let’s Talk Trash! 

One of the Township Service Budgets is for our two Transfer/Recycling Stations. The Community support for this budget comes from a line item on your Winter Property Tax Bill – “Code: S.A.D.” set at a flat rate of $100.00. This revenue amount ONLY applies to “Improved Properties”, that is property parcels that have a residence on them. A small additional revenue also comes from Camping Permits and Large Item Tickets.  

Speaking in round numbers, the total revenue for all Landfill Income in 2025 was approximately $98,000. This revenue pays for all Transfer/Recycling Stations expenditures for the year including wages, Contracted Recycling fees and Household Waste Compactor fees, insurance, utilities, repairs/maintenance, and miscellaneous expenses. By fair and wide, the two largest expenditures are for Recycling and Compactor fees. 

Recycling Services vary throughout the year both by season and by each Station. Regardless, again in round figures, our Recycling Service Contracted fees amounted to just over $16,500 for 2025. (FYI This service is contracted through GFL Environmental.) 

Likewise, Household Waste Services vary throughout the year by season and each Station. The amount of Waste Services greatly out numbers Recycling both in quantity and cost. Regardless, again in round figures, our Household Waste Services fees amounted to slightly more than $48,800 for 2025. (FYI This service is contracted through Waste Management.) 

There are two caveats regarding Household Waste costs. First, there is a surcharge beyond the flat rate pickup charge for fuel charges each month – the more Compactor pickups the greater this surcharge totals. (For 2025 this amounted to about $9,100 of the total fees). The Second caveat is a surcharge based upon the defined estimate weight of Household Waste and the actual weight. (For 2025 these amounts to about $1,350 of the total fees.) One of the determining factors in the Household Waste Surcharge fees involves large items which are deposited into the compactors – they take up volume and add greater weight.  

In 2025, 300 Large Item Tickets were sold for items deposited into our waste stream. This represents an income of approximately $1,500. This amount barely balances the Weight Surcharges but does not address the additional costs for increased pickups and associated fuel surcharges.  

There aren’t easy options; however, the Board is gathering citizen input to address gaining an improved balance between Landfill Budget Income and Expenditures. 

Agendas announcing the steps to implement the budgets are highlighted on the Township website – http://lovellsmi.org.