RecyclingMonster - Westland wants to bring its recycling program back, but officials say the city needs extra tax dollars to do it.
So, city officials agreed to place a sanitation millage before voters in the March 10 election. The tax dollars gained through its passage would pay for a host of things, recycling included. The city had to drop its recycling program in March 2019 when the cost per ton went from $18 to $80. Mayor William Wild said the most recent bid he's received place the costs at $130 per ton.
Wild has previously said he chose the March election because summer taxes would allow the millage to take effect sooner. The Democratic Presidential primary election is that day, as well as a tax renewal request from the Detroit Institute of Arts. Elections are also scheduled in August and November.
If voters approve the millage request, the city would be authorized to levy up to one mill, or $1 per every $1,000 of taxable value, for the next 10 years.
Wild said the millage, the first he's put before council, would raise about $1.75 million in its first year and would cost the average Westland homeowner $50 annually. He also said the money would only fund sanitation efforts and would not go to other city accounts.
On Feb. 11 at 6 p.m., t
The city will host a town hall 6 p.m. Tuesday regarding the millage, which will be filmed for WLND TV, as well.
Here's everything to know before heading to the town hall or ballot box:
Recycling
At a Jan. 28 study meeting on the millage, Councilman Mike McDermott said, though the millage would do more than bring back recycling, that's arguably the most important thing it would do.
"We can set this up, obviously, and we have, as a sanitation millage but the average resident is going to expect this to be used toward recycling," he said.
To that, Wild vowed to bring back recycling as soon as possible if the millage passed.
"What we're probably going to do is find a short-term solution for recycling and then keep an eye open for a long-term solution," Wild said. "With that, if this goes through the next step would be, because the funding would be in place, you would have my commitment to bring a contract before council."
Right now, the city expects it would pay $130/ton for 4,500 tons of recycling per year. That would cost about $585,000 in the first year the program is installed, and Wild said the cost per ton would likely increase gradually in at least the near future.
The millage would also allow the city to add recycling to the sanitation budget while being able to save money for future capital expenses.
Garbage trucks
In 2019, the city purchased three new garbage trucks. Wild said the city ultimately saves money by paying for the trucks and gasoline rather than renting a company's trucks.
There is no money set aside in the budget to purchase trucks this year, but most of the fleet was purchased in 2015 and will need replacing soon. City Finance Director Steve Smith said the city was told to plan on 7 years of use for those 5-year-old now.
"It's imperative, obviously, as the fleet gets a little older we've got to start replacing them and that's what we've done," he said.
Aside from the purchase of the new trucks, some money from the millage would be set aside to pay $180,571 into truck purchase debt through 2029. The city would pay less in 2030 at $61,332.
Other costs like trash pick-up services, administrative costs, bin purchases and other debts are also in the budget, which the millage would likely help cover.
Courtesy : www.hometownlife.com