Lincoln County supervisors accepted a new garbage collection proposal and approved the budget for the new year during a busy meeting Monday.

     The first item brought before the board was the issue of the new garbage collection contract.

     Representatives from Waste Pro, including former Ole Miss and New Orleans Saints running back Deuce McAllister, spoke to the board about the company’s proposal and services.

     After listening and asking questions, supervisors unanimously voted in favor of accepting Waste Pro’s proposal, which should save the county $1.4 million over the current contract with Waste Management when calculated over a six-year period. The new deal would also save the city of Brookhaven $91,000 a year, if it is accepted by the Brookhaven Board of Aldermen Tuesday night.

     Waste Pro is a company that currently does business in seven states and serves more than 1.6 million residential customers, according to their representatives’ statements.

     McAllister said another positive is local residents will fill positions with the company.

     “The employees will come from here,” he said. “There may be one manager that does not come from here, but the others would.”

     McAllister also said the company plans to buy or build a facility in Lincoln County and make it the regional hub for Southwest Mississippi.

     Supervisors then had their public hearing on the 2012-2013 fiscal year budget.

     Lincoln County resident Tom McMurray spoke to the board during the hearing and lobbied against raising taxes.

     “The trickle down of tax increases affects people,” he said. “Those on fixed incomes are hurt by increases.”

     Lincoln County Administrator David Fields pointed out to McMurray that the county was not raising taxes this year; however, the tax levy for the Lincoln County School District is increasing by 1.7 mills.

     The reason for the increase was not stated in the meeting. Supervisors said they have no control over what the school board does.

     Supervisors then voted 5-0 to approve the new budget, which takes effect on Oct. 1.

     Later in the day, supervisors met with representatives from Young’s General Contracting of Poplar Bluff, Mo. about debris collection in the county from Hurricane Isaac. Their meeting went over guidelines and expectations as laid out by the contract.

     Debris collection was to start Tuesday morning. All debris on the county’s right of way will be collected, including debris placed there by landowners.

     However, Jeff Dungan of Dungan Engineering, who is overseeing debris collection, stressed that the contractors are not allowed to cross onto private property to collect debris. Debris placed on the right of way by landowners will be collected, but only if it comes from a cleared portion of land, such as a homeowner’s lawn or business.

     Debris moved from a field or wooded property is not to be collected.

     Workers with Young’s will make two passes down all county roads during their 30-day period of debris collection to pick up an estimated 20,000 cubic yards of debris in Lincoln County, which will not include Brookhaven as the city has already begun its own debris collection project.