Walker County politicians got into a fight last Thursday about a bunch of garbage.
Three and a half weeks after she said companies could bid to take over the county’s landfill, Commissioner Bebe Heiskell unsealed the only offer she received: $1.7 million from Santek Waste Services, a company in Cleveland, Tenn. Santek would close the landfill, turning it into a place to drop off and pick up garbage.
The offer also included $1 for the county for every ton of waste brought to the landfill, located on Marbletop Road in Chickamauga. Heiskell did not decide whether she will take the offer or say when she might announce her decision.
The county’s landfill lost an average of $535,000 per year from 2011-15, audits show,and its operation has become a point of contention in this year’s election. Heiskell’s competitors, Perry Lamb and Shannon Whitfield, both say they can make the landfill profitable.
Lamb said during last Thursday’s commission meeting the county should hire a third party to appraise the landfill and determine whether an offer like Santek’s is worthwhile.