The way Elkhart Mayor Dick Moore put it, "This is something that will benefit a majority, at the expense of a few". For years the city has picked up residents trash and paid for it by taking money out of their general fund. Mayor Moore says with an expected $10.5 million loss in property taxes for 2013, the city just can't afford to use the same system.
"Rather than shutting something down because you lost ten and a half, you're trying a way to keep things going. And the way to do that is take it off the tax base and put it on the user." Mayor Moore said.
The proposed ordinance was introduced to the City Council at a Monday evening meeting. It would cost residents $11.35 a month for the service. The council moved the proposal on to the Finance Committee, which will look into the bill at a meeting on Monday August 13th. That will also be an opportunity for citizens to come and voice their opinion on the proposal. Mayor Moore says the city pays $2.2 million annual for trash pick up and the monthly fee is based on the number of households who take advantage of the garbage pickup now.
"Do we want to return back to a very poor trash collection system? Do we want to return to burning rather than picking up the brush and the limbs? Do we want to return back to not plowing the snow and be ready to go to work at 5 o'clock in the morning? All of those things are staring at us." Mayor Moore said.
Another side to the bill would have mobile home communities included in the residential definition. If the community has four or more trash units, they would need to have their own trash services. The mayor said this would save the city $142,599 in 2013.
He says he has asked the council to make a decision either way on the bill before August 20th. He says the aggressive timeline is due to the city needing to make a proper budget and knowing where trash factors into that is imperative.
