Recycling: It’s really good for the environment, but will it soon break resident’s banks?
The Tooele City Council unanimously approved an $1.53 monthly increase in recycling fees, a 27% increase during their Aug. 16 meeting.
Tooele City joined a recycling program in 2017, offering residents the choice whether or not to receive a recycling can.Residents were told the program was self-sustaining, but it has been in a deficit every year because of gas increases and other issues since the beginning.
The city recently hired Louis Young Robertson Burningham, a financial advising company, to look over recycling fees and bring the city up out of the red when it comes to the recycling program.
“It was overwhelming in their report that the current fees aren’t sustainable for the current program,” said Shannon Wimmer, Tooele City finance director, during the city council meeting.
The firm provided two recommendations for the city to move forward. The first was to increase the recycling fee every year for the next five years, maxing out the price of a can at $7.50 a month. The second option was to set the current rate at $7.18 for the next five years.
“Both of those give us the end result to hope to maintain that at a zero balance,” Wimmer said speaking about the program.
The current rate is $5.65.
On Wednesday, June 21, the city council met to talk about the firm’s findings. Council members said they wanted to hold the rate at $7.18, instead of slowly increasing it over the next five years.
Once a recycling can is delivered, the city requires citizens to keep it for a minimum of four months. After four months they are able to cancel recycling service.
“If they want to discontinue their service, they are absolutely able to do that,” Wimmer said.
Justin Brady asked if the price increase could potentially decrease the number of recyclers in the city, causing the city to have to again raise the price of the program to keep it sustainable.
“What point do you just discontinue recycling?” he asked Wimmer.
Wimmer said the issue could be talked about if it becomes a problem in the future.
At the end of the discussion, a public hearing was held but no comments were made.
All members of the council voted to approve the new price of $7.18 a month.
