Residents of Benton Harbor will see their trash collection bills go up a little following action Tuesday by city commissioners.
Commissioners were asked to consider raising the trash fee from $17.65 per month to $21 per month to help cover increasing costs. It was noted the city hasn’t raised rates for several years while the landfill fees keep rising. A city committee was told last week the trash collection program in 2024 lost about $36,000.
With rising costs for everything creating a burden for everyone, there was some pushback Tuesday. Commissioner Ethel Clark Griffin said now is not the time for a fee increase. However, Commissioner Sharon Henderson said the city can’t keep losing money.
“The cost of collecting refuse has increased,” Henderson said. “We need to address it because our general fund cannot handle the additional amounts of money that will be needed to collect the trash. But I would also implore the city manager to put in some efficiencies.”
Mayor Marcus Muhammad said the city has to maintain its trucks, pay its staff, and pay the landfill fees. Then he had a suggestion to ease the pain.
“We do hear the cries of residents and the struggle of our residents, in particular,” Muhammad said. “So I would like to amend it to $20, but I don’t think we have a choice.”
The rest of the commissioners agreed on lowering the increase by a dollar. Therefore, the new trash free will be $20 per month for each customer with a 95-gallon bin.
The resolution also establishes fees for stickers that can be placed on trash that residents throw away in addition to what’s in their bins. The stickers run from $2 for small items like extra garbage bags to $35 for large items like furniture.
Commissioners Clark Griffin and Emma Kinnard voted against the fee increase in the final vote.
