Talking Trash and Campaign Donations

Despite contention over the city’s trash collection contract, all five council members voted on July 6 to ratify the final agreement with Waste Management – the highest bidder. The service will cost $11.50 per month for single-family residences. Under its current contract, Waste Management has been charging $14.00 per month for single-family residences.

As part of the process, a consultant (Sloan-Vasquez) was paid more than $100,000 by the city to rate the companies submitting bids. The consultant recommended Waste Management in a rating system that factored price at only 20 percent in importance. While a debate could ensue on the ultimate cost of selecting the lowest bid, the price difference was substantial, with CR&R coming in at $10.27 per residence when Waste Management’s original bid was $13.74.

On June 7, the council majority of Kelley, Ury and Leckness voted to choose Waste Management as the finalist. As part of the negotiation process, Waste Management then had the opportunity to lower its bid. It also negotiated altered terms, eliminating a requirement of spending $9 million for new trucks and carts

While some might point to the lower price as a “savings,” others say residents have been overcharged for years. Waste Management cites its own support of community programs, but the dollars from overcharging residents far exceed any payback to the community. Waste Management also makes a practice of giving campaign contributions to incumbent council members.