Oregon city increases residential waste fees

The Salem, Oregon, City Council voted to slowly increase residential garbage rates over the next two years to help haulers with rising business costs, a report by the Statesman Journal says. The first round of new rates will begin Jan. 1, 2018.

According to the report, Marion County residents will pay 80 cents more per month for a 35-gallon container, Polk County residents will pay 25 cents more per month for the same container and rates will rise again in 2019 at 60 cents more per month for Marion County and 25 cents for Polk County residents.

The higher prices for Marion County residents come from the use of an incinerator north of Salem that has higher operating costs, the report says.

Estle Harlan, a business consultant representing the waste haulers at the Oct. 9 council meeting, says in the report that inflation and declining revenue from recycling markets are forcing the rate increases.

David Lear, general manager of the Mid-Valley Garbage and Recycling Association that represents six franchised haulers, says in the report that the increases will also help pay for low-polluting rigs and other investments.

The rate increase are meant to put haulers’ pretax profit margins at 10 percent, the report says.