ASHLAND — Residents and business owners in the city of Ashland will soon pay more for the city to pick up their trash and recycled items.
Ashland Mayor Matt Miller said a rate hike to the city’s trash pick up services would likely increase $2 per month to keep up with the cost to deliver waste to a Rumpke landfill.
The waste disposal company sent out a letter to city officials in recent weeks that said it would be raising its base price for clients by 8%. Rumpke’s latest rate hike took affect April 1.
“Like so many other businesses and industries, Rumpke is encountering rising costs for equipment, materials and labor. The cost to hire and train employees has risen as well as everything petroleum related,” reads the letter.
Rumpke sent a nearly identical letter in 2022, announcing to the city it would be raising its tonnage rates by 20% and that it would come into effect by July 1.
During Tuesday’s council meeting, Miller noted he misspoke when he said the 2022 letter announced a 10% rate increase. He then said the city would need to raise its rate by $3 to keep up with Rumpke’s rate hikes over the last two years.
“Well, we think that’s too much. So chances are … probably within the next 30 days, we’ll be issuing a formal letter to you that we will need to increase our rate by approximately $2,” Miller said.
In actuality, the city would need to increase the $15.75 monthly charge — a rate that has been unchanged since 2006 — by $4.25 in order to keep up with Rumpke’s increases.
“We’re just at the point where we have to react or we’ll go into the red in our sanitation fund,” said Jason Counts, the city’s sanitation director.
Counts said that, despite the rate hike, the sanitation crews would not change what it picks up at curbs and at businesses. More information on the trash pick-up services can be found on the city’s website.
Miller said his mistake does not change his commitment to only raise the trash pick up service charge by $2, making the new monthly payment $17.75.
“At this point, even though $2 does not make up the difference in expense we’re incurring, it moves us in the right direction,” Miller said, adding he doesn’t foresee the city increasing the rate for trash pick up services anytime soon.
“But that would all be impacted by the economic environment,” he said.
The rate hike has not been officially implemented, the mayor said. The next step is to put a proposed rate hike before council to review.
