City removes $5 landfill fee from electric bills

Sparta Board of Mayor and Aldermen has voted to remove the $5 fee on the electric bills that was originally intended to go toward covering landfill costs.

City Administrator Tonya Tindle opened the discussion by explaining the history behind that charge.

“The way this agreement has been over the years, when White County owned a landfill...so, if you were Caney Fork, Volunteer Electric, or Sparta Electric, $5 would be held out of your electric bill. Sparta Electric has been doing that since 1998. They pull that $5. We keep 60 cents for every household as payment, and then we send the check to White County for them to operate the landfill. They no longer have a landfill.”

Mayor Jerry Lowery said, “This $5 fee that we’re charging, they’re getting nothing for it. And so I personally think we need to stop charging it on the people because they’re not getting any service for it.”

The city has also met with Waste Management, and Mayor Lowery hopes there will be an agreement that they can bring forward within the next 30 days or so.

The motion to remove the fee was approved unanimously by the board. The removal of the $5 fee for those in the city will go into effect on Jan. 1. This does not include the fee on people who live outside the city limits.

During the meeting, the city and Mayor Lowery wanted to award emergency service members for their deeds during the Clark Street fire that occurred June 30, 2025. Officers Michael Shank and Devin Moore were given the awards, and Sparta Police Chief Nick Dunn was proud of the heroism they showed that day, too.

(Below - Congratulations to Officers Michael Shank and Devin Moore for going above and beyond the call of duty on June 30, 2025, during a major house fire on Clark Street. The two officers were honored during the Nov. 20 meeting of Sparta Board of Mayor and Aldermen. The two officers are pictured with Sparta Mayor Jerry Lowery.)

“Our emergency people were doing an outstanding job, and I got to witness it firsthand because I was there quick,” Mayor Lowery said. “And these guys did an outstanding job of probably saving some lives that day. We highly commend you all for that.”

In other business, Kaden Sparks, whose family has been firefighting for generations, was sworn in as a new reserve firefighter. for Sparta Fire Department. Sparks has served alongside his father, Jason Sparks, with the Doyle Volunteer Fire Department, and his grandfather, Carl Sparks, was once chief of the Hickory Valley Volunteer Fire Department.

“Getting young men like that to serve in that area is awesome,” Mayor Lowery said. “It makes my heart feel good, so much appreciated.”

In addition, Trevor Sliger had a pay step increase approved to Pay Grade 5-1 from 3-2. This was approved due to him earning his Grade 4 Water Plant Operator’s License.

The city approved the purchase of new computers and updated SCADA software for the Water Plant, which was a budgeted item. The hiring recommendation for Apprentice Lineman was also approved.

The next meeting for Sparta Board of Mayor and Aldermen will be 5 p.m., Dec. 4, on the second floor of city hall. All meetings are open to the public and livestreamed on the “Sparta TN Media” YouTube page.