Daviess County Fiscal Court voted 3-1 Thursday night to terminate its contract with Ricky Moore Trucking, LLC for operations and hauling at the City of Henderson Transfer Station, effective June 30, 2026.
The City of Henderson currently partners with Daviess County through an interlocal agreement that allows the county to operate the Henderson Transfer Station and handle its solid waste material. Until now, the county has subcontracted hauling services to Ricky Moore Trucking, LLC.
Henderson officials recently requested that Daviess County take over hauling responsibilities directly, using county-owned equipment and personnel. County leaders said the shift would give them more control over operations and costs. Under the terms of the agreement, Henderson reimburses Daviess County for all related expenses and pays a higher rate than local customers — meaning Daviess County taxpayers will not shoulder any of the transition’s financial burden.
Daviess County Treasurer Jordan Johnson explained that Solid Waste Management reviewed the request and determined that direct operation would be a simpler model and offer greater cost control.
“Approval of this item would terminate our contract with Ricky Moore Trucking, LLC, effective June 30, 2026, affording ample time for equipment delivery and hiring of required staff to take over the operation on July 1, 2026,” Johnson said.
He added that any and all costs associated with the operation — including an initial capital outlay exceeding $2 million — will be covered by the City of Henderson through an existing interlocal agreement. The county charges Henderson a higher rate than it charges Daviess County customers, Johnson said, and the Solid Waste Fund has sufficient reserves to absorb the upfront expenses.
“This will not come at the expense of any Daviess County ratepayers,” he said.
Commissioner Janie Marksberry cast the lone dissenting vote. She expressed concerns about the county entering a business already served by a private vendor and questioned whether there was any tangible benefit to Daviess County residents.
“In my opinion, the remedy should not be that we go into the trash hauling business for a neighboring county,” Marksberry said. “We said before, with the spay/neuter clinic versus the veterinarians in town, that we did not want to compete with the private sector. So which is it?”
She also cited future equipment costs, staffing issues, and the logistics of overseeing operations 40 miles away as reasons for her opposition.
Commissioner Larry Conder asked how Daviess County’s landfill rates compare with private sector and municipal rates. Johnson said a 160-mile-radius study showed that Daviess County charges about one-third the average gate rate of peer landfills in that range.
Commissioner Chris Castlen expressed support for the decision and thanked staff for the detailed breakdowns and explanations provided.
“I feel like voting yes on this, for me, is putting Daviess County in a better position for the safety of our process,” Castlen said. “This helps us overall as a county to be able to have this enterprise fund that actually produces well for us.”
The termination will take effect June 30, 2026, with county operations set to begin the next day.
The Fiscal Court also approved the purchase of equipment valued at more than $2 million needed for the transition, later in the meeting. Marksberry cast the lone dissenting vote on the truck acquisition.
