Medina County Commissioners Deny Brunswick’s Flow-Control Waiver Request

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The Medina County Board of Commissioners has denied a request from the City of Brunswick to be exempted from the county’s solid-waste flow-control policy, keeping Brunswick’s trash and recycling tied to the county’s system and contracts.

The vote, taken Nov. 14, 2025, followed county staff’s review of Brunswick’s formal waiver request and its potential impact on county operations and revenues, according to coverage in the Medina Gazette and county meeting records. The decision means Brunswick will not be allowed to independently route its municipal waste to alternative facilities outside the county’s established solid-waste program.

Under Medina County’s flow-control policy, waste generated within the county is required to be delivered to designated facilities or handled through county-approved contractors. County officials say the approach is intended to ensure a stable waste stream to support long-term contracts, facility operations and related revenue.

Commissioners expressed concern that granting Brunswick’s waiver could have undercut the financial assumptions behind existing contracts and shifted costs onto other communities that remain in the system. They also cited the importance of maintaining consistent environmental standards and oversight if individual cities seek separate disposal arrangements.

For Brunswick, the denial temporarily closes off the option of pursuing different pricing or service models through independent waste-management contracts. City leaders had argued that more flexibility could benefit local taxpayers and allow Brunswick to seek more competitive rates or alternative services.

The decision carries implications beyond Brunswick. Keeping the city within Medina County’s flow-control framework helps preserve countywide solid-waste revenues and the county’s bargaining position when negotiating with disposal and recycling providers. It also sets a precedent for how the Board of Commissioners may handle similar waiver requests from other municipalities in the future.

Officials from both the county and Brunswick indicated that the issue is likely to remain part of broader discussions about regional solid-waste policy, cost-sharing and local control. Future negotiations between the city and county could address service levels, pricing structures or other aspects of waste management, even as the flow-control requirements remain in place.