LOS ANGELES – An ordinance to increase trash fees in Los Angeles for the first time in 17 years is headed to Mayor Karen Bass’ office for approval.
What we know:
Two parts of the ordinance were passed earlier by the LA City Council. Also, a third part covering extra capacity collection, which required a second vote, was approved Tuesday.
Officials said rising costs, stricter regulations and recycling challenges made the hike “unavoidable.”
PREVIOUS COVERAGE: LA trash fees increasing for 1st time in 17 years
By the numbers:
The fee adjustments will impact approximately 743,000 households and another 474,000 residences that receive bulky item collection services.
Residents of single-family homes will see their monthly trash bill go up from $36 to almost $56. For multi-family homes, that fee jumps from $24 to $56 a month.
The delay in the rate increase, which was originally expected to go into effect on Oct. 1, has reportedly cost the city at least $22 million.
Trash fee hike criticized
The other side:
The fee increase has been criticized by the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association, which attributes the higher costs to a state mandate.
According to a statement from the association, “The increase in trash fees for residents of Los Angeles and other cities in California is the direct result of a reckless law signed in 2016 by Gov. Jerry Brown, Senate Bill 1383. It mandated a 75% reduction in `organic waste’ from the 2014 level starting in 2025, supposedly to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from landfills.“