Erie County sues Huron County

SANDUSKY — Erie County commissioners refuse to let their government counterparts in a neighboring jurisdiction breach an agreement without facing any ramifications.So the board members filed a lawsuit, alleging all three Huron County commissioners — Terry Boose, Joe Hintz and Bruce "Skip" Wilde — violated a trash-related contract.Documents filed in Erie County Common Pleas Court Monday provide some context.On Sept. 2, 2014, Huron County entered into a five-year contract with Erie County to haul all garbage produced within Huron County. A mutually selected upon driver then transports this garbage to the Erie County-operated landfill on Hoover Road in Milan Township for a fee, averaging out to about $26.50 per ton.The deal — which started Jan. 1, 2015, and runs through Dec. 31, 2019 — seemingly worked out fine for both sides, with minimal complaints logged by either party. The partnership dated back eight years, originally starting in 2010.Though, for reasons unknown, Huron County "unilaterally terminated" the agreement on March 27, which went into effect Monday. Huron County commissioners sent Erie County commissioners a memo a few days ago indicating as much.Erie County commissioners seemed both baffled and blindsided over the decision. The main reason why: Erie County depended upon the income, adding up to about $500,000 a year, Huron County shelled out, which funded landfill operations.Another head-scratcher: Huron County commissioners contracted with Rumpke Waste, a private contractor in Richland County, for $28 per ton, according to an Erie County statement."I was very surprised to find out, last week, that Huron County decided to end our partnership on such short notice, however, it is my job to stand up for Erie County and make sure we are getting a fair deal", said Erie County commissioner Matt Old, who, along with his commission colleagues Bill Monaghan and Pat Shenigo, supported the litigation.Erie County seeks to receive compensation in making up for this loss. It's assumed they could seek just below $1 million plus legal fees.Multiple calls placed on the cellphone of Boose, the Huron County commissioners' chairman, went unreturned.He did, however, speak with the Norwalk Reflector."We did have discussions with Erie County, letting them know we were unhappy with the service," Boose said.Added Wilde: "It's very complicated. There was a whole lot more to it. … We said we'd had enough. They were getting a new hauler, and we decided we were looking at other bids. It was an issue of non-performance. Things were to be done, and they didn't happen. We'd had enough."Reach reporter Andy Ouriel at ouriel@sanduskyregister.com and follow him on Twitter @AndyOuriel.Erie County commissioners sued all three Huron County commissioners — pictured, from left, Joe Hintz, Terry Boose and Bruce "Skip" Wilde — after they allegedly breached a contract. Erie County claims Huron County illegally ended a deal revolving around transporting trash from Huron County to Erie County