TIFTON — City council members have approved an increase to the tipping fees at the landfill and the canning fee and garbage rates for contractor Ryland Environmental.

As a means of covering costs caused by inflation, the council agreed to up the landfill’s tipping fee by $2 and Ryland’s can fees by $1, a 4.7% and 5.7% increase, respectively, during their Nov. 18 meeting.

Acting city manager and chief financial officer Larry Lawrence discussed the need for the increase at the council’s previous meeting, citing the aforementioned costs and that the uptick would allow for increased revenue to the city’s solid waste fund by a significant amount annually, which would further aid in fending off the expenses of maintaining the landfill and Ryland’s needing to cover those tipping fees themselves.

Despite the city’s approval of the landfill tipping fee increase, Tift County, who jointly owns and operates the facility, has elected to withhold on a decision; county manager Jim Carter said at the county commission’s Nov. 12 meeting that after consulting with city officials he had come away with more questions.

The county board of commissioners aims to deliberate on the item and hopes to come to a decision during their meetings in December. Lawrence has assured the city council that he will attend their next meeting as well to further discuss the plan with them.