Refuse authority presents draft budget for 2026, revenues to increase

This article was funded by LebTown donors as part of our Civic Impact Reporting Project.

The Greater Lebanon Refuse Authority is projecting operational revenues of $10,651,540 in 2026 — an increase of more than $1.3 million from 2025, according to its proposed budget.

“Our revenues are higher this year because we budgeted in our tipping rate increase,” GLRA executive director Skip Garner told the board at a recent meeting.

In October, the board approved increasing the cost haulers pay to dispose of a ton of waste from $72/ton to $82/ton. The tipping fee was last increased in 2020.

Read More: Tipping fee for waste disposal at refuse authority to increase in 2026

GLRA’s total revenues — operational and other revenues — for 2026 are estimated to be about $13.32 million, according to the draft budget. Total expenses for 2026 are estimated to be $11.23 million, enabling GLRA to transfer about $2 million to reserves.

The proposed budget also includes about $1.8 million for the purchase of several pieces of equipment include a track loader, water truck and excavator, as well as $390,000 for a vertical well installation at the Schilling landfill. Those wells are designed to collect methane and also to monitor methane, oxygen and temperature in the landfill.

Read More: Trash talk: A bird’s eye view of the Greater Lebanon Refuse Authority

The 2026 budget is slated to be approved at GLRA’s December meeting.

Garner noted that GLRA received 12,015 tons of waste in October. Revenue from tipping fees in October were almost 14% higher than what was budgeted. GLRA’s tipping-fee revenues are 5.5% above budget for the year.

In other business, the board approved:

• Retention of current officers. They are: John Poff, chairman, South Lebanon Township; Bonita Grumbine, vice chairwoman, North Lebanon Township; Brent McFeaters, secretary, North Annville Township; LuAnn Horn, assistant secretary, West Lebanon Township; Clifford Berger, treasurer, Bethel Township; and Charles Olt, assistant treasurer, South Londonderry Township.
• A $300 contribution to each of the three fire companies — Union Waterworks, Ebenezer and Union Fire Hose — that typically respond to GLRA calls.

The board of the Greater Lebanon Refuse Authority meets at 1800 Russell Road. The next meeting will be 7 p.m., Tuesday, Dec. 2. These meetings are open to the public and do not require registration.