The Western Lake Superior Sanitary District board voted this week to keep the agency's share of the property tax the same in 2011 -- a flat rate of $18 per household and $9 for seasonal cabins.
The WLSSD's volume-based solid waste fee that shows up on your garbage bill also will stay the same for 2011 -- about $14.56 per year for an average-size, 32-gallon household can.
Both the tax and the fee go to the district's solid waste-handling operations including recycling efforts in towns and cities, waste reduction efforts, the hazardous materials recovery center, yard waste facility and the Materials Recovery Center off Rice Lake Road.
The board also voted to increase rates charged to municipalities for wastewater services by 2.78 percent in 2011 to help pay for increased costs for sewage collection and treatment. The increase covers added debt payments for big projects and increased costs for electricity, said Karen Anderson, WLSSD spokeswoman.
It's expected most cities and towns will pass that increase on to home and business owners, but it's not clear to what extent. Each local government sets its rates charged to homeowners.
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The district plans to spend nearly $11 million in the coming year on new construction to upgrade and maintain the district's system of pipes, pumps and the treatment plant in Lincoln Park.
"We've set a budget that reflects a careful balance between maintaining reasonable rates for our customers while continuing to improve reliability, modernize facilities, meet our consent decree requirements and ensure the cost-effectiveness of the organization," Marianne Bohren, WLSSD executive director, said in a news release.
WLSSD covers the cities of Duluth, Cloquet, Carlton, Scanlon, Wrenshall, Hermantown and Proctor; and the rural townships of Silver Brook, Thomson, Twin Lakes, Canosia, Duluth, Grand Lake, Lakewood, Midway, Rice Lake and Solway.
