Overview
- The Whitmire administration is pitching a phased charge that starts at $5 in 2027 and rises $5 a year to $25, roughly matching its estimate that collection and recycling cost about $24 to $26 per home each month.
- The plan would shift the roughly $100 million Solid Waste budget into the water and wastewater utility, with a utility right‑of‑way payment projected to move about $100 to $110 million a year into the general fund, pending council approval.
- Years of missed pickups, a smaller workforce, and aging trucks have strained service, and officials say the new revenue would help replace vehicles and fix transfer stations to improve reliability.
- Budget staff warn the general fund gap could hit $209 million next year without new revenue, which they say could force cuts to libraries and parks because police and fire layoffs face legal limits.
- The proposal currently offers no discounts for seniors or low‑income households and skips tiered pay‑as‑you‑throw pricing used in Austin, San Antonio, Dallas, and Fort Worth, where monthly charges run about $25 to $64.