Solid Waste Workshop is April 7th

With many questions about the Wayne County solid waste situation being asked by citizens and customers, the Solid Waste Committee met on Tuesday, March 11, 2025. Committee members in attendance were Wayne County Commissioners Vickie Petty, Alvin Creecy, Patrick Butler, Tyler McDonald, and Rickey Kelly. Also in attendance were Solid Waste Director Robert Hayes and Assistant Director Lindsay Ross.

Commissioner Petty, Chairperson of the Wayne County Solid Waste Committee, began the meeting by asking that everyone keep an open mind and be willing to discuss new ideas.

Former Cannon County, TN County Executive Brent Bush and former Cannon County, TN County Commissioner Ronnie Mahaffey were invited to address the committee regarding Cannon County’s solid waste situation when the two were in office in 2020. Both said that the Cannon County Solid Waste Department was very similar in operation to Wayne County’s when they took office, but changes were made that greatly improved their solid waste department’s financial situation. Mr. Mahaffey’s assessment was that Wayne County’s solid waste facility is being treated like a landfill when it is actually just a processing facility. He said that people must realize that whether they take their trash to the solid waste facility themselves, or have it picked up and taken there, the facility is not the “end site” where the trash ultimately ends up.

Commissioner Creecy spoke for several minutes about the options he previously presented to the commission regarding new ways for customers to dispose of their trash, including paying by weight or paying a yearly fee.

Former Wayne County Commissioner John McDonald addressed the committee, stating that he knows from experience that the County Commission works hard to find solutions for all the county’s financial struggles. Mr. McDonald said that in his opinion, the problem with the solid waste department is not how to bring in more revenue; rather, it is how to cut back on money being spent from the solid waste budget.

Mr. McDonald proposed that the Solid Waste Committee hold a workshop to discuss all aspects of the current solid waste situation, and members of the committee agreed. A solid waste workshop was scheduled for Monday, April 7, 2025, at 6:00 p.m. at the Wayne County Administrative Building (former courthouse) on the square.

All are invited and encouraged to attend the solid waste workshop, including city customers, county customers, commercial haulers, and anyone else interested in the topic of solid waste disposal in Wayne County.