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Mayor proposes increase in trash pickup fee to help balance city's budget

A new proposal from the mayor would increase rates for most homeowners from $8.95 per month to $11.50 per month.
(Source: WTOL)

TOLEDO, OH (WTOL) - You could soon pay more for your trash pickup fee if you live in the city of Toledo.

The mayor has proposed an increased rate; this comes as city leaders work to balance the budget.

The initial proposal would have almost doubled your refuse rates, but after backlash from the community the mayor has come back with a more modest hike.

A new proposal from the mayor would increase rates for most homeowners from $8.95 per month to $11.50 per month.

Those on the homestead program would go from $5.00 per month to $6.50 per month.

"It is an increase, but it's less dramatic than what was initially proposed," said Toledo City Councilwoman Lindsay Webb.

She thinks this amount is a good compromise. It's less than the $15 a month that was initially proposed, but still helps the city deal with increasing operation and capital costs.

"The total cost of the operations aren't covered by that refuse fee, we are still absorbing the cost of the landfill operations," said Webb.

Right now, the cost to the city is $15 million per year. If these new rates are approved, they will generate around $11 million of that.

"Citizens are asking us to use our money more wisely and this is one way we can do it is to make refuse collection over time, fully self-sufficient and through its own revenue generation. But we also recognize that we need to do that slowly over time," said Webb.

Council is expected to vote on this next week. If approved, the new rates would go into effect April 1.

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