8/12/2019 News About Arlington County, VirgianSun Gazzette Feb 17 2014

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Courtesy of Sun Gazette: For additional information please go to:

http://www.sungazette.net/arlington/news/trash-collection-bills-to-

rise-question-is-by-how-much/article_2770cf42-97d4-11e3-b011-

001a4bcf887a.html

Trash-Collection Bills to Rise Question Is, By How Much?

Posted: Monday, February 17, 2014 8:05 am

by SCOTT McCAFFREY, Staff Writer

The exact amount remains a work in progress, but one thing is for sure:Arlington residential property owners will be paying more in the futurefor trash collection.

County Manager Barbara Donnellan has asked County Board members toadvertise a rate increase from $293.76 in the current fiscal year to asmuch as $313.80 for the year that kicks in July 1.

The $20.04 increase is three times the amount needed to meetprojected additional costs for running the governmentshouseholdsolid-waste program for the coming year, but Donnellan says there areseveral variables that may require additional funding.

8/12/2019 News About Arlington County, VirgianSun Gazzette Feb 17 2014

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Whatever rate is set by County Board members at their Feb. 22meeting will be the maximum that can be charged for the coming fiscalyear; as with the real estate tax rate, board members can laterapprove a rate lower than advertised.

A $20.04 increase would represent a 6.8 percent increase in costs forowners of single-family properties and duplexes, who do not have theluxury of shopping around for trash service since the countygovernment maintains a monopoly on it. Townhome communities havethe option of participating, but are not obligated to do so.

The advertised rate would generate $10.39 million in revenue in thefiscal year beginning July 1.

With the governments current contract for waste-collection andrecycling services set to expire in June, officials say there is no way toknow for now where bids will come in. Advertising a higher rate, theysay, will accommodate that uncertainty, and could allow county officialsto consider enhancement of existing service, such as year-round yard-

waste recycling and food-waste collection.

The county government bills property owners for trash and recyclingservices in quarterly installments. Property owners must pay the billswhether or not a particular property is occupied and producing trash.Arlington officials set rates to recoup 100 percent of the cost of thecollection and recycling efforts, and say the annual cost per householdremains below that imposed on participating property owners by the

local governments in Fairfax County, Alexandria and several Marylandjurisdictions.