Fremont County has proposed significantly increasing the
landfill fee on county residents by approximately one hundred and fifty
percent. The fee increase is necessitated by work that must be done to the
county landfill located on the flat. While residents may find an increase of
fifteen dollars a month manageable, Island Park businesses will not be so
lucky. One business owner advised me that the total landfill fees for his
rental cabins will increase by eleven thousand dollars per year.
The landfill fees are much higher for commercial
properties than for residences. Business owners of Island Park struggle with
limited seasons to earn money and many find it cheaper to shut down in spring
and fall. The landfill fee schedule gives no relief for businesses that are not
operating during several months of the year and therefore do not use the
landfill. What makes it even more ironic
is that the landfill they are being asked to sacrifice for is not the one they
use.
Businesses of the caldera have already been hit by a
disastrous Labor Day weekend (it rained all weekend) and a short, lean snow
season. Now they are asked along with the other residents to pony up a
substantial increase in landfill fees to address a problem that has languished
for several years.
After World War II, the British government instituted a
roof tax. The amount of tax owed was determined by the square footage of a
building’s roof. Several families who owned historic castles deliberately caved
in the roofs of the medieval buildings rather than pay the substantial tax out
of necessity or protest.
The United States Postal Service has continually
increased postage in an effort to cover their financial obligations. What they
have proven is that as prices rise, the public searches for alternatives to
avoid the cost increases. Now they are faced with closing mail distribution
centers and reducing services. These cost-cutting measures will result in less
revenue than are currently enjoyed.
The county commissioners should look for a formula to
address the financial need of the landfill that takes into account actual usage
of the landfills. I know of one business which is applying to sell off their
rental cabins individually. This will greatly reduce the fees owed to the
county. Others are considering removing less profitable structures from their
properties. Either way, the county will fail to generate the funds they require
if they continue down this road.
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