Lafayette County Solid Waste Customer Count Bounces Back After Annexation

By Alyssa Schnugg
News Editor
alyssa.schnugg@hottytoddy.com

Photo by Talbert Toole.

When the city of Oxford annexed 11-square miles of Lafayette County land, the Lafayette County Solid Waste Department lost 968 customers.

However, since November the county has already gained back 516 accounts as the county continues to grow in population with the construction of several new subdivisions.

Last week, Solid Waste Manager Jody Harrison presented the fiscal year 2020 budget before the Lafayette County Board of Supervisors who have been reviewing individual budgets from each department before voting to approve the final budget in September.

The overall budget for Solid Waste was $2,747,438, down from fiscal year 2019’s $3,115,729 budget.

The 2020 budget doesn’t call for the purchase of any new vehicles; however, the department expects to receive several new vehicles that were budgeted last year, including a new knuckleboom truck that picks up larger trash items like couches, beds and appliances.

Harrison said he also plans on expanding the litter crew by two people.

“We need to clean this county up because there’s so much stuff out there,” Harrison said.

Other vehicles included a satellite side-loader truck, two automated garbage trucks and one rear loader.

Harrison also reported that since the county hired a collection agency to deal with unpaid garbage bills, the department has collected $125,000 in unpaid bills.