No. 2: White County enters into deal with Waste Management

White County’s decision to sell its county-owned landfill to Waste Management emerged as one of the most significant and consequential stories of 2025, reshaping the county’s financial outlook and long-term economic stability. 

For decades, the landfill had been both a necessity and a burden. While it provided an essential service, operating costs steadily mounted. White County spent nearly $2 million annually on solid waste disposal while losing money, carrying roughly $1 million in debt tied directly to landfill operations. Compounding the issue was a long-standing obligation to a landfill closure and post-closure fund, which exists to ensure counties can pay the substantial costs associated with sealing and maintaining a landfill after it stops accepting waste. By the time the county moved forward with the sale, that obligation exceeded $18 million. 

State regulations required counties to set aside hundreds of thousands of dollars each year for this fund, an expense White County had been unable to absorb without drastically increasing taxes. When Tennessee began strictly enforcing those rules, counties were required to either fully fund their closure accounts or stop operating landfills altogether. For White County, meeting that requirement would have resulted in a dramatic tax increase that was widely viewed as unsustainable for residents. 

The sale to Waste Management fundamentally changed that trajectory. As part of the agreement, the private company assumed all landfill-related liabilities, including the full cost of funding the closure and post-closure account. This immediately erased the county’s long-standing debt and removed a financial risk that had hovered over county budgets for years. Waste Management also paid White County $2 million upfront for the landfill, followed by an additional $2 million after permits were approved and transferred. Looking further ahead, the agreement includes a future $12 million payment tied to landfill expansion permitting, anticipated in or before 2036. 

Beyond those one-time payments, the partnership created a new and reliable revenue stream. Waste Management committed to an annual host fee estimated between $700,000 and $800,000 for a minimum of 20 years, funds that flow directly into the county budget to support public services. Over two decades, the total economic impact of the agreement approaches $40 million, with a significant portion realized in the first 10 years. 

The community impact extended beyond county finances. Waste Management planned to employ approximately 25 local workers at wages above the county average and committed at least $20 million in capital investment, with potential for additional expansion. Residents also gained free household garbage disposal for the life of the landfill, a benefit expected to last at least 20 years. The company further pledged $50,000 annually toward local community projects and scholarships, adding another layer of local investment. 

One of the most notable outcomes followed the county’s next annual audit. With the landfill liabilities fully resolved and the closure fund properly funded, White County received a clean audit for the first time in three decades. The landfill issue had consistently appeared as a negative finding in prior reports, and its resolution marked a major milestone in financial accountability and compliance. 

What had once been a costly liability became a long-term partnership that stabilized county finances, eliminated debt, avoided major tax increases, and created new opportunities for reinvestment. The landfill sale stood out in 2025 not simply as a business transaction, but as a turning point that strengthened White County’s foundation for the future.