Police, fire crews pile into meeting to support trash fee

Mayor Duke Bennett/Lucy Perry Photo

Terre Haute residents can expect to begin paying for trash service this summer after a narrow City Council vote last night.

Following much discussion on the need to generate additional revenue, the toss-up resulted in a five-to-four vote to approve  the solid waste fee ordinance, which will be implemented in July. 

Fewer than a dozen people addressed the council during a public comment period on the trash fee. Most spoke in favor of it, while a few in attendance argued that the timing is just not right.

Council members Earl Elliott, Karrum Nasser, George Azar and Curtis DeBaun voted in favor of the fee, which is expected to patch up the city's economic woes. Voting against the ordinance were council members Amy Auler, Martha Crossen, Todd Nation and Neil Garrison. 

Mayor Duke Bennett said the solid waste fee will help the city make up for property tax cap-related struggles. With a standing-room-only audience -- most of who were staff of the Terre Haute Fire and Police Departments-- the mayor said as many cuts as possible have been made. In fact, the large crowd in attendance showed concern for the jobs of public safety members on the line, in the event the measure did not pass. Once the council approved the ordinance, the room thundered with applause.

Prior to passing the ordinance, council members approved amendments  to the ordinance to  set the fee at a couple dollars less than proposed, at $10.25 per month. A gradual increase by .25 cent increments will follow annually for the next three years. The cost will max out at $11.00 per month and will be included on sewer bills.

​Councilwoman Martha Crossen said she still has some concerns about the city's financial predicament.

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"I think we cannot afford to have less than a complete strategic plan. I feel like this trash fee is plugging a hole," Crossen said, adding she doesn't believe it will be enough to fix the financial challenges.

After the meeting, Bennett spoke with reporters about the significance of the decision and that it will indeed be the fix the city needs to compensate for lost property tax dollars. He said it adds up to a roughly .35 cents a day expected from residents, a cost he believes is fair. He talked about perks,including community recycling options. He also noted that elderly and disabled residents will receive a discount.

​Mayor Bennett agrees with Crossen about the fee plugging a hole, but insists it is a solid fix to this issue.​

"It pays for the trash contract, which then frees up those funds to continue to do what we're doing," Mayor Bennett said. "Now we've got a revenue source to cover that very expensive contract, that's an important service to the citizens of our community."