By Thomas Grillo
One month after Mayor Judith Flanagan Kennedy vetoed a modest meals tax, the city’s chief executive is backing a trash fee that will cost taxpayers about $2 million annually.
“We are trying to address a budget deficit without layoffs,” the mayor said in a statement. “If we don’t impose this fee and are forced to lay off people, the impact in the loss of city services would be felt by all residents and businesses.”
Earlier this month, the council overrode the mayor’s veto to impose a .0075 percent tax on top of the state’s 6.25 percent sales tax on meals. The levy now adds 75 cents to a $100 dinner bill, about 19 cents to a $25 meal and is expected to raise $700,000 annually for the city.
Under the proposal that will be the subject of a public hearing on Tuesday, June 27 at City Hall, a trash collection fee will be collected on any non owner-occupied unit.
Landlords who live in apartment buildings up to six families would pay the charge on the units they do not occupy, but at a lower rate than out-of-town landlords. Owners of a single-family home who live in the house would be exempt.
Kennedy did not say how much the fee would cost. But Peter Caron, the city’s chief financial officer, said it expected to be in the $150 to $220 range annually.
Owners of buildings with more than six units are responsible for their own trash disposal.
Of the 27,000 units for which the city collects trash, 12,000 are single-family homes. About a third of all units would be subject to the fee.
In addition, under the ordinance, which would have to be approved by the City Council, there would be a $40 monthly fee for any business that has their trash picked up by the city.
Kennedy said if the budget deficit is not closed, at least 40 city workers could lose their jobs in city’s Police Department, the Department of Public Works and at City Hall.
The Fire Department would be exempt because of a minimum staffing clause in the contract and the library is required to spend a specific amount of money in order to receive state funds.
Thomas Grillo can be reached at [email protected].