California Borough trash collection fees increasing 109% this year
California Borough residents will pay considerably more for trash and recycling collection in 2023.
County Hauling has been awarded a three-year contract to collect trash and recyclables in the township beginning Jan. 1.
The cost for residents will increase from $39 to $80 quarterly, a 109% increase.
Borough administrator Richard Martin said the borough was in contact with four waste collection companies after advertising for bids for the contract, but only one company, County Hauling, submitted a bid.
“Our residents are rightfully concerned, in some cases angered by a 109% increase, I get that. It was simply beyond the control of any of the elected officials here,” Martin said. “We got one bid, we were stuck with it.”
Prior to the increase, County Hauling had not raised its fees in California Borough for the past three years.
However, the company cited increasing fuel and diesel costs that have more than double, higher labor costs, inflation and a number of uncollected delinquent accounts as some of the reasons for the increase.
Rate increases are also included in the second and third years of the contract.
Martin said council did not want garbage service interrupted.
“The long and the short of it is, we put together the same set of bid specifications we based our last contract on, they were advertised legally in our local paper, we waited for bids, and waited and waited. Nobody would bid,” said Martin. “We did our due diligence, they just didn’t bid.”