Trash bills for many residents in unincorporated Stanislaus County could edge up this summer as officials move more garbage to landfills after the shutdown of the county’s waste-to-energy plant. County staff are recommending an average increase of about 2.3% for unincorporated customers, and the Board of Supervisors is set to take up the proposal at a public hearing next month.
Instead of one blanket fee, the county sets maximum monthly rates by franchise area, so the impacts vary by hauler. Under the draft schedule, Bertolotti Disposal service would climb about 2.30% from $50.84 to $52.00 per month, Gilton service would rise roughly 2.21% to $42.00, Turlock Scavenger in Area 3 would increase about 2.27% to $59.25, and Turlock Scavenger in Area 4 would go up about 2.17% to $55.80, according to the Modesto Bee. County staff say these would be the first substantial countywide rate hikes tied squarely to the post-incinerator transition.
What’s driving the change
The county’s last operating garbage burner, a waste-to-energy facility near Crows Landing run by Reworld (formerly Covanta), stopped taking county trash in December 2024. That closure shifted roughly half of the community’s garbage to the neighboring Fink Road Landfill. The sudden bump in landfill volume is expected to push tipping fees higher, and those costs roll downhill to households through their haulers, according to the Turlock Journal. County staff have pointed to this systemwide switch as the main short-term reason for the proposed adjustment.
State rules already adding cost
Even before the burner went offline, state rules were putting pressure on local trash bills. California’s SB 1383 requires cities and counties to provide organics collection and expanded recycling services, which in Stanislaus County meant new carts and more frequent pickups starting in 2022. The county’s solid-waste website details the two- and three-cart rollouts and notes that these mandated services increase costs for haulers and local agencies. For many customers, those SB 1383 changes nudged bills upward earlier, and the new landfill-related expenses would add on, according to Stanislaus County Solid Waste.
How the county plans to blunt the blow
To help cushion the shift away from the Reworld facility, Stanislaus County received one-time funds tied to the early end of that contract: about $1.68 million plus roughly $3.36 million left in a resource recovery account. Officials expect to use that money on equipment, staffing and other upgrades at the landfill to keep rates as steady as possible. County reports and staff notes also stress that disposal costs account for only about 12% of a hauler’s overall budget, though higher tipping fees still appear on customer statements. Local reporting indicates the county plans to tap those reserves to smooth the transition rather than dropping the full cost increase on ratepayers all at once, according to the Modesto Bee.
When residents can weigh in
The Board of Supervisors has scheduled a public hearing for 9 AM on June 23, and the county calendar shows that, if approved, the new maximum rates would kick in on July 1. The hearing will take place at Tenth Street Place in downtown Modesto. For more information ahead of the meeting, the Environmental Resources Solid Waste division lists its office at 3800 Cornucopia Way, Suite C, Modesto, and a main phone line at (209) 525-6700 on the county recycling website.
Local TV has already aired a brief segment on the potential rate hikes, underscoring how the burner shutdown is reshaping regional waste planning. County staff say they will keep updating their calculations as costs shift. Residents worried about paying more each month may want to comb through the county materials and consider speaking at the June hearing. Coverage by CBS Sacramento also tracks the issue.
