TBM garbage collection costs up more than 50% in new contract

It’s going to cost a lot more to collect garbage and organics in the Town of The Blue Mountains.

The town recently completed an RFP for garbage collection and its costs are going to rise by over 53 per cent. Town taxpayers are facing a 3.79 per cent tax increase in 2024 due to the increased waste management costs.

The town’s costs for garbage collection are rising from $1,390,000 in 2023 to $2,132,525 in 2024 - an increase of $742,655. Costs are expected to rise again in 2025 to $2,207,155.

The collection contract includes: curbside and multi-unit garbage and organics collection, seasonal yard waste and Christmas tree collection, container service and commercial blue box at the landfill and recycling depot, curbside commercial blue box and annual textiles, batteries, and electronic waste collection.

Jeffery Fletcher, the town’s manager of sustainability and solid waste, said the previous contract had lasted eight years and a lot had changed in terms of pricing since the previous contract was signed

“We’re really operating off of prices we received eight years ago. All municipalities are experiencing the same thing,” said Fletcher.

Fletcher said inflation, rising fuel costs, labour force issues and equipment availability were the primary reasons for the dramatic cost increases.

“We don’t have a lot of options. We need to have this service,” said Fletcher.

Since the new contract must be signed by the end of September, staff asked council for pre-authorization to include the new contract amounts in the 2024 and 2025 budgets.

Fletcher told council that some reductions in service for collection of yard waste, textiles and electronic waste could save potentially $112,000 on the cost of the contract.

“We have potentially $100,000 in savings we could make,” said Coun. June Porter. “I feel that’s worth considering.”

However, other members of council were not willing to consider service cuts. Council voted 5-1 in favour (Deputy Mayor Peter Bordingon was absent) of including the full amounts of the new contract in the upcoming budgets. Porter was the only member of council to vote against the resolution.

Council will make the final decision on the matter at its regular meeting on Aug. 28.