The City has begun the work of communicating with residents about a proposed shift from having garbage services as part of the mill rate to a utility model, but it’s not a given yet that it will happen.

During today’s (Tues) Environment, Utilities and Corporate Services Committee meeting, two of the four Councillors who are on that committee were for the change and two were against. Councillors Darren Hill and Troy Davies are against the move. Hill suggests the utility opens up a new revenue stream for the City and he calls it a “shell game”. He doesn’t believe there is enough evidence to prove that having three different cart sizes and prices will be an incentive for residents to divert waste from the landfill.

Councillors Mairin Loewen and Hillary Gough believe it will be an incentive. Loewen says it gives people a little more control over their costs, rather than a blanket mill rate where everyone pays the same, no matter how much waste they divert. As well, with garbage services as a part of the mill rate, Loewen adds that it means businesses and condos pay into a service which they don’t receive. Private haulers collect waste from most businesses and organizations.

However, it was a unanimous vote in favour of Administration’s report on how to implement the plan and to include the proposed garbage utility fees in the budget deliberations in November, including a flat fee for the first six months of next year and a variable fee beginning in July. Both Hill and Davies stated that they only voted in favour so the discussion could be had by all the Councillors and the Mayor at the next Council meeting on September 27th.