Commissioners adjust landfill fee, Perdue announces millage rate

WARNER ROBINS — Even in a relatively short meeting, the Houston County Commissioners still got some very important business done as the Board approved rate adjustments for the landfill. 

According to the agenda, the county will implement a waste rate for curbside collection at $26.97 and a gate rate of $30.97 for all commercial and municipal solid waste. The county will also increase the host fee from $4.00 to $5.00 per ton for out-of-county waste. This adjustment will go into effect on October 25, 2025. 

Chairman Dan Perdue said the landfill has been struggling to cover the costs of capital improvements, specifically the expense of building landfill cells. 

“The equipment cost, rebuild and maintenance of compactors has really been a challenge to continue to run our landfill at the rates we have been charging,” he said. “About two years ago, we adjusted rates at the landfill, and it didn’t quite get to where we needed to be with the rate. We’ve since then done a very good rate study to see everything that’s going into the rates in our landfill, and we feel like these rates are appropriate to fund the operation and capital expansion at the landfill.” 

In other new business, the Commissioners approved a memorandum of understanding in Juvenile Court. This is to support a Family Treatment Court (FTC) within Juvenile Court. 

Commissioner Gail Robinson said the FTC allows participants an opportunity to address substance abuse while working through dependency issues with children at home. 

Houston County will make a one-time payment of $89,000 from the Opioid Settlement Fund as part of the agreement. 

“I want to thank Judge [Monica] Wilburn for coming up with the idea of a Family Treatment Court as I know they’ve been successful in other places, and I’m looking forward to putting them to use in Houston County,” Perdue said. “I want to thank her staff for their willingness to implement this and let’s see if we can make a difference in the lives of these folks in Houston County.” 

The Board also approved writing off bad debt for $23,344.93 in the Water Fund and $28,290.98 in the Solid Waste Fund for FY25. 

Commissioner Mark Byrd said these amounts represent less than 1% of all revenues collected in these departments, with ongoing efforts to collect outstanding debt. 

“This is simply a step we must do in closing out the fiscal year, so that we can move on to the audit,” Perdue said. “[I] appreciate efforts that our utility department makes to continue to collect these funds.”

Towards the end of the meeting, Chairman Perdue announced that the Board will be setting the millage rate next month. 

“It’s a decision that demands we examine both our core responsibilities as a local government and our citizens’ legitimate expectations for fiscal restraint,” he said. “In preparing for that decision and in recent months putting together the FY26 budget, I’ve really spent a lot of time analyzing comparisons so that we could get some idea of just how efficient our government is.” 

Perdue went on to explain that Houston County is the leader in delivering value for citizens on the fewest dollars compared to other counties of similar size. 

“When measured against the State of Georgia, Houston County’s budget growth relative to population growth demonstrates that we’re running a tighter and more efficient operation than the state government,” he said. 

Perdue anticipates another slight reduction in the millage rate this year. He said this reduction will demonstrate their continued commitment to government efficiency. 

“Additionally, we’ve embraced the floating homestead tax exemption that ensures homeowners’ property taxes don’t rise faster than inflation, but we have to balance legitimate concerns about rising property taxes with our obligations to deliver critical services.” 

Perdue shared he is doubling down on his efforts to prioritize efficiency and effectiveness. 

“I know my fellow commissioners share this commitment, and I welcome the teamwork required from community leaders, elected officials, constitutional officers and our employees to ensure that Houston County remains the best county in Georgia,” he said. 

The next Houston County Commissioners’ meeting will be held on Tuesday, August 5, at 9 a.m., located at the Houston County Courthouse, 201 Perry Parkway. 

The full agenda for this meeting can be found at www.houstoncountyga.gov/minutes/2025-07-22%20Department%20Heads.pdf