Residents in Renton and around King County can expect a slight increase in the garbage bills beginning next year, according to a presentation members of the county’s solid waste division gave the city council on Monday.
Estimated at about 5 percent, or $1.06 per month for a typical, one-can user, the increase is the first since 2013 and has been planned for this year since then.
Under the proposal, which will head to the County Council for approval this fall, the new basic fee would increase to $140 per ton, up from the current level of $120.17 per ton.
“Most of the increase is just to sustain what we are doing today,” Meg Moorehead told the council, adding that the new amount is higher than that in Snohomish County, but less than they pay in Seattle or Pierce County.
According to numbers provided by Moorehead, of the additional $20 per ton, a full $14.88 will go to sustaining services. Moorehead said because there has not been an increase in four years, the county has to make up some ground due to wage and benefit inflation, as well as debt service, landfill maintenance and equipment replacement.
Moorehead said the county put off equipment replacement during the recession but it now has to make those purchases.
Another $2.35 from the proposed increase will go to increased transport capacity, reducing wait times through the addition of staff, increased equipment availability and recycling outreach.
An additional $2.17 from the increase will go to demand management.
Moorehead also said fee increases planned for 2015 and 2016 had been deferred to next year. Had those increases gone into place, Moorehead said the county estimates it would have collected an additional $22 million over the two years.
Council members questioned the timing of the increase, with Councilman Ed Prince asking about smaller, incremental increases rather than a larger jump every few years.
“My concern is can you spread it out any longer?” he asked.
Councilman Don Persson also asked about the timing and was concerned about nickel-and-diming residents with several smaller tax increases in the next few years, from garbage to property tax to the possibility of Sound Transit’s ST3 package passing.
“We’re at the user end of all this and it’s really piling up on our people,” he said, but added that he appreciated the need to upgrade the fleet.
Moorehead said studies have shown that residents prefer smaller, more frequent increases to larger jumps, but gave no indication of plans for fee increases in the future.
According to Moorehead, the additional funding will result in the recycling of an additional 42,000 tons per year and expand those services with a new station design and increased staffing meet all of the disposal needs of the 37 partner cities as well sat in compliance with all regulations, improve equipment at the landfill, update their customer service through education, training and new signage.
The proposed increase will head to the County Council for approval. The council will hold public hearings prior to taking action. The new rate will become effective Jan. 1, 2017.
Reach Editor Brian Beckley at 425-336-4959.
