TIFTON — The City of Tifton is considering a fee increase for its landfill tipping and disposal services.

City council members discussed the possibility of raising the fees on both landfill tipping at the city-county landfill and a price increase for the can fee of Ryland Environmental during their Nov. 4 city council meeting.

The tipping fee for the landfill would go up by 4.7%, increasing it from $42 to $44, while the can fee for Ryland would go up by $1, a 5.7% increase.

Acting city manager and chief financial officer Larry Lawrence reported that neither fee had been adjusted in several years, but as inflation had caused an uptick in the cost of operating the landfill, and due to Ryland both needing to pay for that increased tipping fee and deal with its own struggles caused by inflation, these increases were necessary to continue providing revenue to the landfill and contractor.

That the fee bump would see an estimated increase to the solid waste fund of $192,000 each year, he stated, much needed revenue in the wake of the aforementioned rising costs and some of the city’s recent purchases for equipment to maintain the landfill.

Lawrence reported that the county manager, Jim Carter, would be recommending the tipping fee increase for the landfill as well at the county board of commissioners meeting also being held that night.

Recounting the numerous reports she had received over the past few weeks regarding residents with loads of debris too large to be disposed of by Ryland, Mayor Julie Smith also suggested the consideration of a fee increase for the contractor to allow them to handle all yard debris still in need of disposal across the city regardless of size or load.

Lawrence agreed to consult with Ryland about the bumped rate in preparation for the city’s next meeting, where they would come to a decision regarding the landfill and contractor’s other fee increases.