Trash service rates are increasing for Newcastle residents.
The City Council, in its Tuesday, October 15 meeting, raised residential rates from $13.50 per poly cart to $14.21 per poly cart.
City Manager Kevin Self said, “The last city rate increase for trash service occurred on January 1, 2018.”
The City has absorbed rate increases since then.
Self told the City Council that the City’s contractor, Republic Waste, increased the prices it charges the City on October 1 by 5.3%. This promoted a review of the City’s costs and customer rates, he said. As a result, Council members voted to increase the rates charged to Newcastle residents.
Self said, “It appears that the City should go ahead and increase fees equal to the 5.3%. If we don’t increase the fees, we are going to go, basically, in the hole.”
Although Republic Services provides trash disposal services, the City does the billing and other tasks.
The Council members, who were in attendance, agreed unanimously to approve the residential rate increase. Council members Gene Reid and Kimberly Sutton were absent from the meeting.
Self said when Republic does raise rates, they do so normally in October. He said last year’s increase was 3%, but this year’s increase is, as stated, 5.3%.
The City and Republic Waste have a multi-year contract for service which still has two years remaining.
