LAWRENCE: Resident opposes $55 bulk item pickup fee

By Lea Kahn, Staff Writer
   A proposal to charge an annual $55 fee to each household to pick up furniture, appliances and other bulky items along with the household trash drew opposition from one township resident at Township Council’s Tuesday night meeting.
   Municipal Manager Richard Krawczun floated the idea of charging the fee to each household at Township Council’s Sept. 18 meeting during a discussion of the 2013 municipal budget. The fee would generate about $400,000 in revenue for the upcoming budget.
   Mr. Krawczun told the council last month that charging a fee for bulk pickup would be an alternative to charging a fee for trash collection, which means the cost for trash collection could be kept in the municipal budget.
   The manager suggested a flat fee instead of a sticker program, which is another approach used by municipalities, because there would be no need to set up a system to issue stickers and keep track of them. It would save administrative costs, he said.
   Earlier this year, voters were asked to approve a 9-cent increase in the municipal property tax rate in addition to the 5-cent tax rate increase to support the 2012 budget. The additional 9-cent increase was needed to help close the budget gap by raising more money, instead of wiping out the surplus account.
   Township officials said that voters’ rejection of the 9-cent increase would lead to the elimination of trash pickup as a municipal service in the municipal budget, saving about $2.8 million. The township would provide trash pickup, but charge homeowners an annual fee of $336.
   The voters overwhelmingly turned down the 9-cent tax rate increase, but Township Council decided to keep municipal trash collection costs in the budget. The council applied money from the budget surplus account to plug the hole in the 2012 municipal budget.
   Having settled the 2012 municipal budget, Township Council has been looking ahead to the 2013 municipal budget, which is also expected to contain a budget hole. State law limits municipal property tax increases to 2 percent over the prior year’s tax rate.
   Tuesday night, Pine Knoll Drive resident Amy Davis told Township Council that she does not support a $55 annual fee for bulk trash pickup, but instead she would prefer a sticker program so that residents pay for what they discard.
   ”(The annual fee) would be grossly unfair to many residents who do not need or use this service,” Ms. Davis said. “This is nothing more than a back door tax disguised as a new user fee. I support a sticker program where individuals who need this service would pay accordingly. It’s a fair and reasonable alternative.”
   Ms. Davis pointed out that people who want to get rid of an item could sell it on Ebay for pickup only, and at garage sales. Most stores will remove old items when they deliver new ones, she added.
   Township Councilwoman Cathleen Lewis replied that the proposal to charge an annual fee for bulk item pickup is just a suggestion.
   ”It is important to note that all ideas are on the table,” Ms. Lewis said. “It is not something that Township Council has decided to go forward with or not.”