If you live in Peoria, you will begin paying a much higher trash collection fee beginning January 1st. The Peoria City Council finally OK'd the new garbage fee structure Tuesday night, just before passing the 2012 fiscal budget.
Trash fees collected on water bills will more than double from $6 dollars a month presently. The city will charge $13 dollars a month for each of the next two years. In 2014, the collection fee goes up to $14 monthly.
Mayor Jim Ardis says an important consideration is the city is finally pointing towards using the increased trash fee for a specicifc purpose. He says the fee is targeted to go directly towards the cost of collection. That would free up motor fuel taxes currently used to help pay for the garbage contract to be used for it's intended purpose, which is road repairs.
Under the new agreement, Peoria Disposal Company got a contract extension through 2016. PDC made concessions for the extension which will save taxpayers about $670,000 dollars spread out over 5 years. Every user will also receive a choice of three sizes of toters. But, it won't be mandatory to use them.
The new 2102 budget calls for $183.2 million in expenditures and projected revenues of about $188.4 million. Severe cuts were made to erase a $5.5 million dollar deficit. There might end up to be a net loss of 50 city jobs, depending on the final number of early retirements.
