Right now, we pay $8.50 a month. But that charge could double. Many of the roughly 100,000 households which get trash pickup each week like the service.
But Toledo says it's losing millions by taking out your trash and wants to get out of the trash business.
City councilman D. Michael Collins says, "I firmly believe that the (Mayor Mike) Bell administration has not given this a fair shot." Collins doesn't believe the city's losing anywhere near $8 million on trash service and that privatizing service through the county will cost you more.
The way Mike Collins figures it, homestead seniors are paying $5 a month for trash pickup, $60 a year. If the winning bid for county-wide system is $17 a household and the county imposes an additional $3 surcharge-- $20 a month --that would be $240 a year. Or four times what homestead seniors are paying right now.
County commissioner Pete Gerken says the county would not impose a surcharge and a private vendor will probably charge less than $17 per household.
And even if the city stayed in the trash business, they would increase the fee to $17 .25 to cover its costs. So either way, expect to pay more.
Commissioner Gerken says, "But the true number certainly isn't $8.50. The true number may be closer to $12 to $13. We don't know until we go out and ask the marketplace."
So while Toledo could save millions, it will cost you more to take the trash out.
