Indianapolis-based Best Way Disposal employees collect trash in February 2020 in Greenwood. New Whiteland is holding a public hearing on trash rate increases in December.
Daily Journal File Photo
By 2027, residents in the town of New Whiteland could be paying $3 more for trash collection.
An ordinance raising the rates was introduced at the town council earlier this month to increase the trash rates beginning next year.
The council approved a contract earlier this year that put in place an increase of trash rates over the next four years, Town Council President John Perrin said. The increase from the town is in line with the increased amount that Best Way will charge the town, based on the increasing cost of collecting trash and keeping up equipment.
“Everything is going up,” Perrin said. “What we were able to do is secure a minimal increase by staying with the current provider that we have. We were able to lock in the prices for the next four years.”
With the new contract, Best Way offered to continue to provide services at a 2.75% increase over the next four years. That would be approximately a 75-cent increase for residents each year.
New Whiteland did not receive any new bids for a different service, Perrin said, and residents have been happy with the services. The increase seemed to be the best way to go for the town, Perrin said. Best Way has provided services to New Whiteland for the last four years.
The council also discussed earlier this month an increase of their administrative fee that is added to bills to cover the town’s cost of distributing bills to each household. This fee helps the town cover costs such as postage and generating bills .
Preliminarily, the council decided to advertise an increase from 50 cents to 75 cents at their November meeting. The increase that was advertised is not set in stone, Perrin said.
At the meeting, the council asked town staff to gather more information about the administrative costs the town incurs to determine if the administrative fee increase is needed and how much it should be.
New Whiteland Town Council will hold a public hearing on the fee ordinance at 5 p.m. Dec. 6 at the New Whiteland Town Hall, 540 Tracy Road.
