Angelina County landfill fees climb amid expansion plans

LUFKIN, Texas (KTRE) - Taking trash to the Angelina County Landfill is about to cost more out of pocket starting next week.

On Tuesday, Angelina County Commissioners unanimously approved a revised fee schedule for the county landfill, marking the fourth and final rate increase under a multi-year plan adopted back in 2023. The updated rates take effect Tuesday, Oct. 1.

Under the new rate structure, Angelina County residents delivering household waste will pay $8.80 per cubic yard, up from $8.00 per cubic yard set in October 2025.

For haulers, compacted waste inside the county will rise to $11.05 per cubic yard, while out-of-county compacted waste increases to $12.70. Uncompacted waste inside the county will cost $10.85 per cubic yard, while out-of-county uncompacted waste was set at $12.50.

Commercial and residential drivers will also face mandatory tarp fees at the gate: $5 for residential vehicles and $10 for commercial haulers.

The City of Lufkin, which pays by weight over the landfill scales, will pay $44.69 per ton for uncompacted waste and $34.21 per ton for compacted waste.

The road to rate parity: A 33% increase since 2023

Tuesday’s unanimous vote fulfills a timeline county leaders forecasted three years ago.

In September 2023, commissioners commissioned a solid waste rate study to address persistent operating deficits and align Angelina County’s fees with neighboring East Texas disposal facilities. At the time, county residents were paying $6.60 per cubic yard.

“Implement those rate increases in January, and we’ll start collecting those fees, and I really don’t expect that we’ll get close to the fees covering the actual expenses until 2026, 2027,” Angelina County Judge Keith Wright told KTRE in September 2023.

The court adhered strictly to that tiered roadmap over the last three years:

• January 2024: Rates increased to $6.60 per cubic yard.
• October 2024: Rates climbed 75 cents to $7.25 per cubic yard.
• October 2025: Rates climbed another 75 cents to $8.00 per cubic yard.
• October 2026: Rates reach $8.80 per cubic yard—representing an overall 33% increase for residents since 2023.

“This has been the last of a series of rate increases. There were four. This is the fourth one,” Wright said during Tuesday’s meeting. “This was done in relation to a rate study that we did on our solid waste, on our landfill rates, and we’re trying to get ready to prepare for a huge expansion of the landfill.”

Why some numbers were rounded up

When commissioners reviewed the proposed rates Tuesday, some figures came in slightly higher than the initial study recommendations—such as out-of-county uncompacted waste bumping from $12.45 to $12.50, and residential rates landing at $8.80 rather than $8.75.

Landfill official Kisa Goodson stepped before the court to clarify that the adjustments were made for simple register logistics.

“It was due to the penny [shortage],” Goodson said. “We tried to round it so that we’re not being off every day on our cash count.”

Preparing for a $20 million expansion

County officials emphasize that the hikes are necessary to keep the county’s solid waste operation self-sustaining while gearing up for capital projects.

In 2024, Wright noted that legal requirements, environmental permitting, engineering, and construction to open a new landfill cell while improving the current footprint will cost approximately $20 million.

The county expects to incur its first round of debt to finance the expansion in January 2027. Once that debt is issued, Wright cautioned that residents could see another rate review in the near future.

“We’ll more than likely end up doing another rate study to try to keep up with that debt, but this is the last increase based on the rate study that we have at this time,” Wright said.

Earlier in Tuesday’s meeting, commissioners also approved transferring $20,000 from the county’s 2026 budget to the landfill to cover maintenance on interior haul roads.

County leaders reiterated that while rate hikes are difficult, maintaining a local facility is far cheaper than the alternative: closing the site and paying millions to transport East Texas waste to outside facilities.