Editor's note: Twelfth in a series of stories on the people, places and events that made news in northern Michigan in 2008. To read previously published newsmaker articles, see record-eagle.com/newsmakers.
TRAVERSE CITY -- Grand Traverse County Commissioner-elect Ross Richardson is amazed at how many unresolved issues he'll inherit when he takes office Jan. 2.
County officials have struggled with trash and recycling concerns for a decade, but the issue didn't even make Richardson's Top 5 to-do list.
It wasn't mentioned in new Commissioner Beth Friend's top chores list either, but incumbent commissioners are counting on Richardson, Friend and fellow newcomer Mike Stepka to write an ending to the county's solid-waste woes, "the story that will not die."
"They are very important; they bring a different view point to the table," said Commissioner Christine Maxbauer. "Beth Friend has a master's in economics and did her thesis on recycling, and stuff like that matters."
County residents and businesses are saddled with the state's highest tax on trash dumped in landfills, money that's used to fund popular, but costly drop-off recycling bins and other recycling programs.
Some commissioners object that residents with curbside recycling service and businesses pay most of the trash tax collected at landfills for drop-off recycling bins they don't use. Others say the program works and few taxpayers complain.
The current board looked for answers by forming several committees, but couldn't reach agreement on a fix.
Lack of progress contributed to the board slashing its Resource Recovery department budget for 2008, a move that prompted its director to resign in November 2007.
A proposed amendment to the county solid-waste plan -- on which a committee spent three years and $140,000 developing -- remains in limbo. It must be approved by a majority of local governments, but the county hasn't presented it to a single one.
In 2007, Traverse City and Garfield Township asked the county for funding to determine if a trash authority would lower residents' trash collection costs.
The request stalled in committees for almost a year. In August, the county board killed it.
The trash tax was scheduled to expire Dec. 31, but without replacement funding the board was forced to extend it one more year.
"We're stuck," said Commissioner Larry Inman. "The county board tried to engage the public, the townships, and the user groups in making a decision, but we can't get a community consensus. It's going to end up on the board of commissioners' laps and we'll have to make a decision in '09."
The board did take some steps in 2008 that may help it resolve some of the issues.
In May, the board voted to replace the Resource Recovery director. No one has been hired, but county officials said they are close to filling the position.
In November, the board reversed itself again and voted up to $50,000 to study a trash authority.
A committee formed by Traverse City will begin work on an authority in January.
Maxbauer, who listed creation of a trash authority as one of her top five goals for 2009, said: "In some way, shape or form, it's going to happen."
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