Houston eyes new $5 monthly trash fee
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Houston is proposing a $5 monthly trash fee. Photo: Brett Coomer/Houston Chronicle via Getty Images
Houston residents may soon start paying a monthly $5 fee for garbage service, part of City Hall's budget proposal announced Tuesday.
Why it matters: Mayor John Whitmire says the fee and other key components of the proposal would provide a path to financial security for Houston.
The big picture: Part of Whitmire's job as mayor is to craft the city's $7 billion annual budget.
- The budget lays out how much taxpayers will pay for services like the police and fire departments. The fiscal year starts in July and ends the following June.
- The mayor's office usually releases its proposal in late spring, which kicks off a month of community meetings where residents can voice their thoughts before council members vote on the budget in June ahead of the new fiscal year.
Zoom in: Trash pickup is currently offered as a fee-free city service funded through property taxes.
- That's different from other large Texas cities that offer trash pickup as a utility and charge monthly garbage fees, including Dallas ($40 per month), Austin (up to $64 per month) and San Antonio (up to $35 per month).
By the numbers: Residential trash and recycling pickup would fold into a city utility.
- The $5 fee would generate $24 million for the city annually, Whitmire said at a press conference announcing the budget proposal Tuesday.
What they're saying: "It's been coming for years," Whitmire said of the fee proposal.
- "My only question is, why didn't the City of Houston do this a long time ago? It's a practical solution that's working in our other cities."
So, what does that mean for you?
- If your trash is picked up by a private service, like one provided by an HOA, the fee wouldn't apply to you.
- But if you're one of 400,000 residents who use the city-issued black trash and green recycling carts, you'll start paying the fee in July if council members approve the proposal next month.
Between the lines: Whitmire envisions keeping the fee at $5 for the next two fiscal years, then possibly stepping it up by $5 each year until it reaches $25. Each increase would need the approval of City Council.
What's next: Whitmire's office will present the full budget proposal to City Council's Budget and Fiscal Affairs Committee at 2pm Wednesday.
- You can sign up for two town halls to learn more about the budget proposal: one May 16 at the Fonde Community Center and a virtual one May 20.
- Council members will vote on the budget June 3.