Safford discovers a decade of landfill fee waivers for GCRC, St. Vincent DePaul

Safford Landfill - Gila Valley Central Photo

SAFFORD — A software upgrade exposed a glitch in the system when it comes to collecting fees at the Safford Landfill — two local nonprofits haven’t been paying for the last 13 years.

During a City Council work session, Finance Director Troy Bingham explained that the city has been waiving dump fees for GCRC since 2009, and for St. Vincent DePaul since 2011.

The problem, Bingham explained, is there is no record of how much has been waived, and that the landfill must collect for every use, because that money will be used to close the landfill at its expected retirement in 2034 and monitor it for an additional 30 years.

Bingham and City Manager John Cassella suggested the council look at the waivers — if the council wishes to continue the offering — as part of the city grant program.

“I think the numbers will probably fit well within the existing grant program,” Cassella said.

Each July, the Safford makes $100,000 available to nonprofit organizations that serve residents within the city. Neither GCRC nor St. Vincent DePaul submitted a grant request in time for last July’s disbursement.

In the interim, Bingham said he will return at a regular City Council meeting with a resolution to codify the waivers through the end of the fiscal year in June, as well as track how much is being waived over the next six months.

Editor’s note: Reporter David Bell serves on the GCRC board of directors.

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