County leaders agreed to find the money to host a Scrap Tire Day after it was learned the state would not provide its usual allotment.
At its Aug. 6 meeting, the Worcester County Commissioners voted 6-1, with Commissioner Joe Mitrecic opposed, to find county dollars to fund a Scrap Tire Day in 2024. Public Works Director Dallas Baker reported the cost was typically covered by the Maryland Department of the Environment.
“Every year, we have a Scrap Tire Day in the county that is sponsored by the state,” he told the commissioners. “They generally give us money to pay for the recycling of these tires. The state has said they are not doing that this year.”
Historically, the Maryland Department of the Environment reimburses Worcester County for tires collected and recycled during the free-to-citizens event, Baker reported in a memo to the commissioners. In 2023, the event cost $4,693 and 12.3 tons of tires were collected.