New Philadelphia considering $3 per month increase in sanitation fees

NEW PHILADELPHIA ‒ Two years after the city raised monthly sewer rates, the New Philadelphia City Council has been asked to consider another increase.

Department Director Ron McAbier has asked for a $3 increase, which would raise garbage collection rates from $14.75 to $17.75 per month. The increase would generate $280,260 per year and likely eliminate the need for another price increase for five years.

In asking for the increase, he emphasized the need for more money. The remediation fund carryover was $800,000 into 2022, but it’s down to $610,000 now. The city will likely purchase a new truck for the sanitation department next year, at a cost of about $250,000. It predicts an increase in the cost of diesel, and Kimble Companies increased its recycling fee from $12,544 to $30,150. The contract with sanitation workers will soon have to be renegotiated, and McAbier has budgeted an extra $16,000 to $22,000 a year for salaries.

“If we take the lead as I want, I believe it can lead us into the future without coming back to this body and asking for more than we have,” he said.

He noted that New Philadelphia’s current rate is much lower than other cities in the region. Zanesville charges $31 per month; Canton $25.57 per month; North Canton $18.06 per month; Coshocton $18.59 per month; Dover $17.99 per month; and Wooster $16.50 per month.

In 2022, city officials asked for a $1.25 per month increase in sewerage rates, which were then $14.25 per month. Council members refused. Instead, they accepted a 50-cent increase.

Find out more about sanitation rates: New Philadelphia plans to raise sewerage rates

End curbside recycling

Several City Council members have discussed ending the city’s curbside recycling program to cut costs and avoid a $3 increase. New Philadelphia has 7,785 trash collection points, but only 2,051 recycling collection points.

City Councilor Cheryl Ramos said there are many places people can drop off their recyclables. “I don’t see why I should subsidize the people who put out the trash. »

She added that she reuses items instead of recycling them.

Councilor Dan Lanzer asked McAbier how long the city could go without an increase if it abandoned curbside recycling. The department director said maybe two or three years.

Councilor Steve Rippeth said he would like to get public input before making a decision.

“I would like to talk to some people and hear what the public has to say about using curbside recycling,” he said. “Clearly our numbers show that this is not as important as we thought for as many people as we thought. I agree with Ms Ramos, if we have an alternative to this then it is maybe an area that we’re looking at as a way to take care of it for a while and make better use of our resources.

“I don’t think it’s possible to fix the cost of our sanitation over five years, because, quite frankly, we’re two or three dollars cheaper than everyone else around us. We are the reference when it comes to deals. »

The proposed increase will be discussed at a meeting of the Public Works and Economic Development Committee at 7 p.m. on July 8.

Contact Jon at 330-364-8415 or [email protected].