No Rate Hike Expected Again For SWANN

     It looks like SWANN, the Solid Waste Agency of Northwest Nebraska, won’t raise rates in the coming year. The last rate increase was 3 years ago.

     Executive Director Jack Nemeth presented his preliminary budget as well as his rate recommendations to the SWANN board last month to study before voting next month.

      Nemeth says the $1.8-million dollar spending proposal is similar to the current budget despite huge jumps in the cost of diesel and the wire used to compact trash into bales for disposal at the SWANN landfill about 16-miles northwest of Chadron.

Not having to make the $88,000 loan payment isn’t the only area where Nemeth expects costs to go down from the current year.

Nemeth says his budget proposal also includes a 4% pay raise he expects all or nearly all employees to qualify for.

      The revenue side of the budget comes mainly from the monthly rates charged all customers – collection and landfill services for in-town residents and landfill-only for rural residents.

     Nemeth expects SWANN to receive $133,000 in additional income from fees on construction debris and slaughterhouse waste, rental of roll-off boxes, gate fees, and rent from leasing out several hundred acres surrounding the landfill.