We already know taxes in Vernon will be going up 3.9 percent this year, but city council has also approved modest hikes to garbage and recycling fees. Councillor Bob Spiers says both will rise about two percent to cover higher tipping fees and contractor rates. "It's not a big increase, but it's all a part of the different fees that are going up across the province and locally. The most concerning one will be our water rates," said Spiers to Kiss FM. Water fees jumped 17 percent last year, and Spiers says the Greater Vernon Advisory Committee will be discussing the new rates over the next few weeks. Under the new city rates, residential owners will pay $27.30 per quarter for garbage collection, up from $26.59, while recycling will cost $8.78 per quarter, up from $8.61. Commercial premises where bulk containers are not used will be charged $77.10 per quarter for one pickup a week, up from $75.59.Wednesday, February 27, 2013
Garbage & Recycling Fees Rise
Written by Peter McIntyre 107.5 KISSFM Wednesday, 27 February 2013 16:22
We already know taxes in Vernon will be going up 3.9 percent this year, but city council has also approved modest hikes to garbage and recycling fees. Councillor Bob Spiers says both will rise about two percent to cover higher tipping fees and contractor rates. "It's not a big increase, but it's all a part of the different fees that are going up across the province and locally. The most concerning one will be our water rates," said Spiers to Kiss FM. Water fees jumped 17 percent last year, and Spiers says the Greater Vernon Advisory Committee will be discussing the new rates over the next few weeks. Under the new city rates, residential owners will pay $27.30 per quarter for garbage collection, up from $26.59, while recycling will cost $8.78 per quarter, up from $8.61. Commercial premises where bulk containers are not used will be charged $77.10 per quarter for one pickup a week, up from $75.59.
We already know taxes in Vernon will be going up 3.9 percent this year, but city council has also approved modest hikes to garbage and recycling fees. Councillor Bob Spiers says both will rise about two percent to cover higher tipping fees and contractor rates. "It's not a big increase, but it's all a part of the different fees that are going up across the province and locally. The most concerning one will be our water rates," said Spiers to Kiss FM. Water fees jumped 17 percent last year, and Spiers says the Greater Vernon Advisory Committee will be discussing the new rates over the next few weeks. Under the new city rates, residential owners will pay $27.30 per quarter for garbage collection, up from $26.59, while recycling will cost $8.78 per quarter, up from $8.61. Commercial premises where bulk containers are not used will be charged $77.10 per quarter for one pickup a week, up from $75.59.
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I am surprised to learn that our recycling fees are increasing again. From $5.25 just two years ago, to $8.61, and now to $8.78 per quarter? On what basis, exactly?
I asked this same question at the Core Services Review workshop, and no one had an answer.
The contractor for Blue Bag collection within the City is the RDNO. Since 2010, the amount the City has annually remitted to the RDNO for the Blue Bag program has increased 12.6%, while over the same time frame, our household recycling fees have increased 67%.
From the $8.61 collected per household per quarter in 2012, the City remitted $4.83 to the RDNO for Blue Bag collection. That left nearly $4 per quarter per household in the City's coffers in 2012, or roughly $200,000, which according to the City's bylaw 3148 (amended by 5357), is charged to each household for "the collection of recyclables".
The next time Council is considering deleting leaf pick-up or spring chipping services, perhaps Council should also consider deleting that 'extra' $16 per year that is collected from every household? Or at least, I assume these are the services funded by that portion of our recycling fees?
What the City charges to provide a service should be reasonably related to the actual cost of providing the service.
Perhaps a clearer understanding of what is, and what isn't, included in our recycling fees would help alleviate this confusion?
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