Nonprofits that previously had county fees waived for solid waste removal will now have to pay up.

During last week’s meeting of the Beaufort County Board of Commissioners, county Manager Brian Alligood explained that nonprofits weren’t exempt from payment because the charge is not a tax, but a fee for a service, much in the same way that people pay for water or electricity.

“It’s a utility, not a tax,” Alligood said.

He said the fee pays for county waste disposal, which includes the operation of convenience sites, hauling garbage to a non-county-owned transfer station where it’s dumped, as well as paying the “tipping fee” to dispose of waste. The fee is distinct from collection fees, such as those charged by the city to pick up garbage.

“It’s a little bit confusing for folks in the county sometimes,” Alligood said. “You do pay to have your trash picked up, but you’re not paying to have it disposed of through your bill to the city. The solid waste fee is paying for the disposal of that. The county pays for all disposal of waste throughout the entire county. It goes to the transfer station and tipping fee comes out of that and you pay for that. And it’s paid for out of this fee.”

Previously, nonprofits have been charged the standard $145 a year, but some have brought the bill to the county office where the fee would be waived because of the misunderstanding between tax and fee for a service. Commissioners voted unanimously to clarify and charge accordingly.

Alligood said the solid waste fee does not apply to vacant land, and the only entities exempt from the fee moving forward are businesses that privately contract with waste removal companies.

“They’re picking it up, and they’re paying for all of it, and they’re paying the tipping fee — then you would waive that for that property. But that’s the only property you would waive it for,” Alligood said.