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Hudson cans its recycling program

Robert C. Reed

Kathy Scott, of Hudson, delivers her trash to the Caldwell County Lick Mountain Solid Waste Convenience site.

DETAILS

For more information, call 728-8272 or go to www.caldwellcountync.org.

By Jordan Johnson

Record correspondent

Published: July 12, 2009

HUDSON -
Going green and becoming eco-friendly may be popular goals for communities, but the struggling economy is holding back many of these efforts.

Residents of Hudson recently saw one such setback as the town's board of commissioners discontinued the curbside recycling program.

The program, which was created in 1990, was cut by commissioners due to growing budget concerns.

"It was 100 percent a budget-driven decision," said Rebecca Bentley, Hudson's town manager. The program cost the town $36,000 a year for collection, and the return, which came from selling recycled materials, was less than $100 a month, she said.

Participation in the program, which did not cost extra for residents but was included in the town property tax, had also decreased in recent years. Though the participation rate was once around 90 percent, recently the numbers had been lower, with only 50 percent to 60 percent of residents participating, Bentley said.

The decision to cut the program was not a last-minute decision. Commissioners had been watching the revenue from the program over the past few years, but this year economic hardships forced them to take action. With sales being down in the Hudson area, sales tax revenue has decreased significantly, necessitating cuts in the budget.

"The economy has just made it impossible," Bentley said.

Lost tax revenue and a struggling economy caused the town's budget to be down 12 percent. The budget this year is around $2 million.

To make up for the budget deficit, commissioners had two options — cut the recycling program or increase the property tax rate. The property tax, which is currently 35 cents per $100 valuation, would have to increase to 37 cents to keep the recycling program. Commissioners decided cutting the recycling program was the better option for residents.

Discontinuing the curbside recycling program was one of several recent cuts made by commissioners. The clerical position at the Hudson Uptown Building and two officer positions in the Hudson Police Department also have been eliminated.

In addition, Hudson commissioners, along with Mayor Bill Beane, now work without pay to further alleviate budget hardships. The town is attempting to secure funding to reopen some of the cut positions.

Bentley said some Caldwell County towns, such as Granite Falls and Sawmills, still have curbside recycling pickup. However, she said Lenoir, the county's most populous town, discontinued curbside recycling collection two or three years ago.

Though curbside collection is no longer available, the town encourages residents to continue recycling.

Residents can keep their county-issued recycling bins and take their recyclable goods to the convenience site on Mount Herman Road, about two miles from downtown Hudson, which is open four days a week, from 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

In other communities, curbside recycling programs are seeing varying results.

Conover's public works department reported a recent increase in participation in its curbside recycling program, which has been around for over nine years. In Newton, despite seeing their monthly returns drop from $1,900 to $400 over the past 10 years, the city plans to keep its program intact.