NORWICH – City of Norwich Supervisor James J. McNeil said raising bag rates and tipping fees at the county’s landfills might not be prudent this year due to rising food and fuel costs, but he continued his characteristic drive last week to have recycling pay for itself.

McNeil has suggested raising rates each year since 2004. He has calculated that increasing tipping fees from $55 to $57 a ton and by from $1.25 to $1.35 a bag would add about $40,000 to landfill revenues. The increased revenue would put a dent in the $70,000 and $100,000 taxpayers delve out at levy time each year to pay for recycling operations.

“It would be nice if recycling didn’t cost us anything,” the Democrat said.

Despite lower costs paid for recyclable materials, tipping fees haven’t been raised in 13 years.

The county collected $1.29 million at the landfills last year from individual and commercial garbage haulers. Currently, any excess revenue is used to pay for closure costs and new cell development at the Pharsalia Landfill. It would require a board resolution to move any amount of landfill revenues into the recycling budget.