ROGERS CITY — The Presque Isle County Board of Commissioners will allow the county’s recycling program to continue for now, despite the fact the county isn’t breaking even.

Commissioners during a workshop on Thursday took a hard look at the county’s recycling program, debating whether the program can continue while the county is not being reimbursed for cardboard the way that it used to be.

Commissioner Michael Darga said the county could end the fiscal year up to $60,000 over budget if commodity prices continue the way they are. Darga said he doesn’t know how the county is going to continue the recycling program.

“This seems to be an awfully expensive item for everybody to feel good,” Chairman Lee Gapczynski said.

“Do you want the environment and the people who want to recycle feel better, or do you just eliminate it because it’s costing too much money?” Darga said. “Because it is costing us too much money.

County Clerk Ann Marie Main told commissioners that, as long as the county continues to collect a property tax for recycling, it must continue the recycling program. The county receives about $113,000 from its recycling millage, Main said.

Through a contract, Presque Isle County hauls its recycling to Emmet County, and Emmet County reimburses Presque Isle County for some of the materials it recycles. That contract was recently renegotiated so that Presque Isle County would receive higher reimbursements in some cases.

But the county has not made as much money on those reimbursements as it has in the past because the market for recycled materials has taken a hit.

Main told commissioners the county received $122 this month and $90 last month, “not the several thousand we used to get.”

Treasurer Bridget LaLonde told commissioners last month the county ended the fiscal year on June 30 with a $31,863 deficit in its recycling budget, even after the recycling tax was increased. The general fund has always supported the recycling fund with about $30,000 in funding, LaLonde said, but the millage increase was supposed to relieve the county of contributing general fund money to pay for recycling.

The county budgeted $18,000 this year, Main said.

Chris Gee is the general manager with Green for Life, the company that hauls recycling for Presque Isle County and owns the Elk Run Landfill in Onaway. Gee said GFL could contribute about $1,100 a month from the landfill to Presque Isle County’s recycling program for the remainder of their 18-month contract with the county.

Gee said they hope the commodity market would come back by the end of those 18 months.

“That’s a big start,” Darga said.

Andi Shepherd, public works director of Emmet County, said her department could help Presque Isle County apply for grants.

“The State of Michigan does have quite a bit of money for recycling right now, and they’re being very generous,” Shepherd said. “So it’s just a matter of tapping into that.”

Commissioner John Chappa said he thinks the county needs to find a way to make the recycling program work.

“I’m not in favor of it going away,” he said. “I know we’re spending some county money on it, other than the millage, but I think it’s a worthy endeavor.”

Crystal Nelson can be reached at 989-358-5687 or cnelson@thealpenanews.com.