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garbage can—about 20% of households—are subsidizing those with 64-gallon and 96-gallon containers. At the hearing, city officials reinforced their reasons for the rate hike: increasing labor, disposal and other operating costs; more pickups in a growing city; and new state laws, including one requiring collection of residential A city of Sacramento truck picks food waste. That means up yard waste in Woodlake. a new fee—starting at $8.74 a month—for 11,000 customers who don’t pay If Sacramento taxpayers aren’t happy with the for city yard waste service because they get service proposed garbage rate hike, time is running out to from homeowner associations or live in condos or speak up. townhomes that don’t have yards. The City Council is set to vote Oct. 15 on the But some residents aren’t convinced. Since increase, which amounts to $12.33 a month—or a my August editor’s note, I’ve received a few total of 33%—by July 1, 2022 for a family with a emails. One reader said he was outraged by the medium-sized garbage can. rate hikes and called this proposal “ridiculous and Following the official public hearing Aug. immoral” because low-income families cannot 28, the Utilities Rate Advisory Committee afford it. He said his bill is $138 a month, even recommended the rate hike, which covers garbage, with help from the city’s assistance program, recycling and yard waste collection, plus street which he called “a joke.” sweeping. He said he tried to get a reply from a But the recommendation wasn’t unanimous. City Council member to this question: Can The vote was 5-2 after some residents complained residents opt out of city garbage collection? that this is only the latest in a series of city rate The short answer: No. hikes. As I pointed out in our Aug. 22 issue, if City Code requires residential customers to these increases go through, the average bill for use the city’s service. So even if you haul your basic city services will rise from $115 a month in garbage to the landfill, you’ll still get billed. 2012 to $193 in 2022. Despite the concerns over the rate hike, One speaker pointed out that the piling on of there were a lot of empty seats for the public rate hikes is happening even though the city in hearing and only about a dozen residents 2013 reduced how often residents receive recycling spoke. And before the meeting, just 124 and curbside yard waste services—so residents are written protests were sent in from nearly paying more for less. 138,000 notices delivered to residents. Other speakers urged that rates should be based Democracy is not a spectator sport. For it to more on how often they require garbage pickup, work, people have to get involved—by voting, not just on the size of their collection bin. Besides by contacting elected officials, by showing up being fairer, they said it would encourage people to at public meetings. produce less trash. If there’s no outcry, can you blame council Megan Fidell, one of the two “no” votes members for going along with the staff and the along with P. Anthony Thomas, said the 28,000 advisory committee and supporting this rate hike? Ω customers who have the smallest, 32-gallon Photo by Foon Rhee
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by Foon Rhee