Fulton Mayor, Ronald Woodward Sr. said the city will hold a public hearing in December to decide if homeowners want to stay in the garbage business after county tipping fees were raised ten dollars. Photo taken August 2016.
FULTON, NY – Tipping fees at the Oswego County transfer stations and landfill have seen another increase after the County Legislature addressed the fees at last month’s meeting (July 14.)
Fulton Mayor Ronald Woodward Sr. said the city of Fulton will consider leaving the garbage business due to the $10 increase approved to begin January 1, 2017.
“Last year, toward the end of the year, the county raised the tipping fee $5 a ton, which that’s significant. Right now, our garbage program pays about $220,000 a year in tipping fees and that doesn’t include the $60,000 we pay at the waste treatment plant for tipping fees. Last year, we asked if they were done because we had to raise the rates here and we thought the answer we got was ‘we’re done’ . Now the county passed another increase of $10.”
The tipping fee for the city’s garbage and construction debris rate will increase from $65 a ton to $75 a ton, a change the mayor is unsure whether the city will accept.
“We will have a public hearing in December to decide if the city wants to stay in the garbage business,” Woodward said. “I have mixed feelings about it, I think we could still do it cheaper than private haulers but our people are stressed enough, they don’t need any more.”
Woodward said it will be up to the homeowners of the city to consider the change in cost and decide whether they want to pay a little more to stay in business or consider private haulers.
While considering leaving the business rather than accept the increase, Woodward is worrisome of how outside investors will handle the switch to private haulers.
“The only thing making me hesitate is the number of outside investors who rent units in the city. I hate to think what the city might look like if they didn’t decide to get a private hauler because out of sight, out of mind… unless you live next to it,” he said.
County legislator for the 22nd district, James Karasek approached the council at the regular meeting to ensure city officials that their representative legislators voted against the increase.
“I just wanted to make sure the council was all aware that the three legislators that represent the vast majority of the city voted against transfer station increases and waste increases. That was done because we all understand the hardship that face the city,” he said.
“I appreciate the support and letting us know about it, but it still happened,” Woodward said. “We’re all working for the same thing, the public. We represent our constituents in Fulton, but so does the county. We send in $3.4 million once a year to the county for the taxes they collect in Fulton, so we need to get something for that.”
“I understand they want to keep their budget intact too, but maybe its time to let go of it and let somebody run it that doesn’t cost that much,” he suggested.
Woodward had one final question for legislators, “is it done this year, or is there going to be another one next year?”
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This is going to be interesting . One ex-mayor wanted to get out of the garbage business before. The price is still cheaper than using a private hauler. I can buy a pass and use my truck to take my garbage to the dump. Not everyone can do that. If you do the numbers of multiplying the tonnage Fulton has taken to the dump. Reported by a Foil request from the county. Fulton took over 3100 tons in 2014 and around 3095 tons in 2015, using those numbers the increase is this. 310,000 more must be divided by the number of households and business in the city to find out how much each taxpayer will have to pay. Still less than private hauler. Would have been nice if my amendment to freeze the tipping fees at the current level for 3yrs for all municipalities had passed but it didn’t.
Hey Fulton, try Oswego…$275/qtr. for water/sewer & another near $85/qtr. for garbage removal…cry me the Oswego River.
So what exactly does that increase amount to per tax payer? A $10 increase for all citizens? I would still prefer the city take care of the trash and have the removal be included with the water bill. What about our senior citizens and people who do not own a truck? I believe the dump passes are close to $240 per year …probably more expensive that the proposed increase to tax payers . However, I do agree with the Mayor when he asks “Are we done?”. Increases should have a freeze every three years. It almost seems like the County is nit-picking ways to settle their budget issues, and anyone knowing what they are doing should at least have the foresight to anticipate needs during the next 3 years. Besides, wouldn’t the removal of trash pick from the city cause jobs to be lose when we are already struggling? By the way, what exactly DO we get for the money in taxes we pay to the county?
if this city goes to private haulers half of the city will be full of trash. this is not acceptable to me whatsoever. hey Oswego pay our damn property and school taxes. so don’t go there with us.
I remember when we had to buy garbage stickers to put on our trash. the neighbors behind us would let their trash bags pile up against our fence and the stench was horrendous! Not to mention the draw to wildlife and insect infestation. The neighbors across the street let their garbage pile up in the garage on their property, behind that garage and then stuffed more garbage (including dirty diapers) into the walls of their living space. I don’t want to go back to a situation like that.
A $10 increase on 3100 tons is not $310,000 as stated by Frank, its $31,000. Dividing this by population of 11896 gives a $2.60 increase .
Why dont we look at the $989,810.00 that is in the Fulton budget that increased $157,631,00 dollars over 2015.
Divide the $989,810 by the population and you get $83.20 now, and will be $85.80.
Pretty cheap.
Real numbers, not Frank fuzzy math, Ok I’ll give you the fact that the total is off by a lot. but so is your number. The charge is per household not per person. There is no way 11,896 households in Fulton. That would mean that little kids in elementary school are paying for garbage pick up. So we are even. I’m wrong and your wrong. But we both agree that the price is cheaper than using a private hauler ….
The Mayor…We represent our constituents in Fulton, but so does the county. We send in $3.4 million once a year to the county for the taxes they collect in Fulton, so we need to get something for that.”
Your $3.4 million helps pay for….
the County Jail, the welfare offices, the DMV offices, the D.A.’s office, the public works that has helped out in the city many, many times. the Sheriff Dept., The County Court, probation and on and on. I don’t think you want to cut any of those services or pay the whole shot yourself
Take me off the garbage pick up, I will take care of it myself and it will be cheaper…
Hey louise fulton…gladly, I’ve already done the math & it would save me nearly $1000/yr. to live in Fulton…come on up if it’s so terrible there, I’ll sell you my house right quick!
Robert – if you live in Oswego you did the math wrong. School taxes here are $6.00 more per thousand and the city/county tax is another $6.00 per thousand higher. If your house is $130,000 you would pay $1380.00 more in taxes than your house in Oswego. (Not counting water and sewer)
Interesting to read the paper today, nobody wants to give an inch of ground, the fire people in Oswego, think they shouldn’t have to, the Mayor doesn’t think his constituents should pay more for garbage tonnage, bottom line taxes are way too much in Oswego County. I can remember as a kid growing up in Fulton we all had a metal barrel in the back yard and burned our trash.
Up until this week I was thinking they would be able to use the Fitz plant as an incinerator for garbage, but I guess that won’t happen.
I know one thing, the Mayor’s anguish will eventually turn into more fees and taxes for the taxpayers, never fails. The future will bring consolidation it will have to taxpayers are done!
I’ll agree that if the City decides to get out of the “garbage business” bad things will happen. Let’s face it, most of those who rent will not go to a private hauler. The garbage will pile up and cause major issues. I now live in a neighborhood where most of the house are now rental properties and those renters will not take the initiative to go to a private hauler, most of them can’t even go get a job!! I am one of the few homeowners in my area and let’s just say, my neighbors leave a lot to be desired. Honestly, how much will the City save if they have to pay Code Enforcement more money to handle the code violations that this will bring??? Having said that, the legislators that represent our City should be fighting harder for us. Voting against the increase wasn’t enough. Let’s come up with an alternative solution to offer instead of just saying no.
The governor and the state bailed out the county with the big “hail mary” it threw by keeping the Fitz Plant and Nine Mile open! If they didn’t do that you would have been a ” ghost town” in Oswego County.
Now it is up to the community leaders to show some fiscal discipline and live within their means and stop raising taxes and fees.
After all has anybody got a raise in the last six years, except for the Tax assessor?
It would be (and is ) cheaper to haul our trash outside the county….problem is our county wont let the haulers do that.
First, I clearly stated that i was dividing by population to give a sense of what it costs per person. Whether we divide by person, or household, rent or own, the cost is the cost. We pay it directly or indirectly, put we pay it.
Census figures say 4,923 households, so the figure then would be $201.06 per household. ($989,810, divided by 4923. Actual math, not Frank fuzzy math)
Still pretty cheap.
The question you didn’t answer is, the Mayor stated that the tipping fee last year was $220,000, yet your “foil” said 3100 tons, would have been at $65 a ton, $201,500, approx. Not a tremendous difference, but $19,500, not peanuts. Fuzzy math?
What you have not answered for our residents is the fact that $989,810 is budgeted, an increase of $157,631 dollars over last year. If the county raised the tipping fee $5 last year, at your 3100 ton figure, that would be an increase of $15, 500. I’ll do the math for you so you don’t fuzz out, that means $142,131 increase was NOT because of the tipping fees.
Make informed comments and decisions rather than fuzzy. You also need to decide if you are a county guy, or do you really want to help us here in Fulton. You can’t serve two masters.
And before you give us your standard ” I’m looking out for the taxpayer”, I don’t see where you fixed anything at the county, and you only complain (or campaign, spelled different, but the same) about the city. Fix one or the other.
well Real numbers, not frank fuzzy math, I don’t know where you have been but every NO vote I have made has been with alternatives and it has been the republicans that have the control of the purse strings so when you say are you going to be a county guy or a city guy. I ask you just where is the city of Fulton located. When I disagree with what the city leaders are doing. I’m doing that as a taxpayer in the city of Fulton, As a taxpayer I have that right. If all you want to do is find fault with how I do my math and not the issue. You must be a supporter of my opponent in the last two elections. Just trying to find one fault and keying on it. Lets look at who voted YES on all increases at the county level past and present and who voted YES at the city level also . At the city level when the leaders do something right I say so…but when they do something I don’t agree with I again say so but again I give alternatives . All you want to do is key on the fact that I made a math error. Just run against me maybe the people will vote for you. When you do run I would love to debate you. I write something in support of what the Mayor is thinking about doing nothing negative and you find fault with my math . And looking back on what you stated in you first ans. you said the increase will only be 2.60 . If you want to know what a 10 increase in the tipping fees will mean to you as a home owner you must divide by number of households not people. Why the budget item line went up is a question the Mayor and one of your buddies on the CC will have to ans. . I would say it has to do with pay raises insurance costs etc. Go to the public hearing and ask your questions to the CC that is why they have public hearings. Go to the meetings every Tues. night on the First and Third of the month. Ask them the questions I’m sure they will have a real good ans. I always have said the city raises it’s fees higher than needed but I didn’t vote for a single one of those that are in office . And it sounds like you didn’t either but I maybe wrong on that one.
I propose we simply make Fulton into the new Oswego County Dump. The Mayor can simply sell the city to break even on all the bail outs it has had in the past 25 years. What few people are left in the ci can scatter to other nearby towns and cities. At the rate Fulton is going, this might be an improvement.
Pick a city any city of comparable size to Fulton or Oswego, I think the city of Oneida has been mentioned before as one that is doing things with much smaller police and fire departments for the same size city and compare other things that will tell how well the subject city is being run.
As to the garbage thing apparently the land fill needs some competition in the garbage accepting business; what if the city hired a trucking company with large trucks once a week to haul the city’s garbage to another landfill. Isn’t there one south west that is accepting garbage being hauled all the way from NY city, but only 30 miles or so away from Oswego County! Do that for a while and I am sure tonnage fees will come down locally!