The trash rates in Youngstown are going up.
all council reps voted for the hike. i was not at the finance meeting. i do not what was said about this hike. one can go on whats happening to see and hear what was said in the finance meeting on this topic.
What is the new rate, or is it a deep dark secret?
Beginning July 1, 2009, the trash fee will increase from $11.75 to $13.75 per month.
On January 1, 2010 the rate will increase to $14.75.
On January 1, 2011 the monthly trash rate will increase to $15.75 per month.
So within an eighteen month period your trash fee will be increased by $4.00 per month ($48.00 per year) or 34%.
Until the city(government and citizens) can reverse the trend of residents and business' moving out, and the government can get increases in income taxes( the life blood of revenue) these types are necessary.
I understand that none of us want to see these types( or any) increases, but costs keep increasing and WE all have to understand that we must pay. I personally support these increases first as a resident and secondly as a Council member.
There are citizens out there that feel that government can operate more efficiently, and that they can cut costs across the board. To those citizens I toss out a challenge to ORGANIZE. Form a group and
study how our government is currently operating and identify and recommend realistic solutions.
what are the reason(s) that current mayor's adminstration and the present council have for the increase?
I can only guess here, but I think the following would all be valid
reasons for raising the trash rates:
1) Loss of tax revenue
2) Inreases in fuel costs
3) Increases in dumping fees
4) Maintenance on the city's trash trucks
5) Increases in costs associated with payroll and any benefits
The city does not operate its own trash collection service. The Waste Management Company is contracted to provide this service within the city.
It has been reported that the trash fees are being increased in anticipation of a possible increase by Waste Management.
------------------
With the continuing decline in the city's population, one would think the need for trash service should be declining each year.
Jay, I might be mistaken but some of the blame rests with the State and Federal EPA regulations.
There are four vacant houses on my block. Does the city still pay Waste Management for trash service to these homes even though the homes are empty?
Once the water is turned off at a residence the city notifies WM and they will not pick up the trash and the city is not billed. The water is the checks and balance.
a possible anticipation is what the mayor and council is basing their decision on the trash fees? did waste management tell them in a letter or a meeting with these two city's parties about a possible increase in their fees? if, the city is losing residents and businesses, why the increase?
This is unreal. Just another nail in the coffin for people thinking about COLAs and how to survive every month. It really creates another reason why people want to leave the city.
THIS RATE INCREASE WILL SURELY MAKE WASTE MANAGEMENT RAISE THEIR RATES. DO YOU THINK WASTE MANAGEMENT IS GOING TO ALLOW YTOWN TO PROFIT OFF OF THEM WHILE PROVIDING A SERVICE TO THE CITY? WASTE MANAGEMENT WILL INCREASE OUR RATES BY THE END OF THE YEAR. CAN THIS BE ANOTHER WAY WILLIAMS AND COUNCIL ARE HELPING THEIR FAMILY AND FRIENDS AT WASTE MANAGEMENT FOR AN INCREASE IN THEIR PAYCHECK AT THE EXPENSE OF THE YTOWN'S RESIDENTS? THINK ABOUT IT!
iwasthere! You are an individual that criticizes almost everything and everyone that is involved in government. However this time you have crossed the line! As a youngstown city council member I resent your blanket statement that Williams and city council is taking care of anyone at WM. GROW UP!
swierz if you want unblanket statements from concern citizens like me and such, council and the mayor should have had an open meeting with the citizens of ytown. instead, the council and the mayor took it upon themself to hike the trash rate up without any open public discussion. did wm come to council and the mayor about price hike in the trash pickup? i heard there was no discussion of any kind. mr. council rep correct me if i am wrong on this matter, did a meeting take place between wm and the ytown's civic city leaders? if, council was up and up on this matter conspiracy questions would not be asked by concern citizens like me. i would like to know why council has not call in all the two million dollars that was given to the ytown catholic diocese and youngstown state university at a low interest loan rate esp. for their so called economic development(what happen to separation of church and state) esp when the city is in dire straits? is council going to allow another ten dollars from the economic development to go to st. christine's chuch for flowers and trees? was this a loan or another freebie from our cash strapped city to an organized religion affiliate? the mayor is gun-ho on the city's residency requirements for city employees why does he allow Kyle Milsek to live in canfield, dave bozonich to live in Beaver Township when dave quit his job with the city and he was rehired by mckevley on interim basis? he said he fired other city employees for this violation, why hasn't he fired these two inds? these and other wheelbarrel full of questions i would like to see answered by the our city officials that are in charge. swierz, as for your grow up statement that is your opinion not mine. if i criticizes that is your opinion, i just ask questions and give statements to what i see and hear from the government leaders when we look at a picture we can write about it in multi-different ways due to the individual(s) attitude(s).
First of all 90 % of your statements and/or questions need to be answered by the mayor. I see you use the theory of deflection. My response to you was that ,you decided that we did the raise because we are all corrupt. Please exclude my name the next time you inkle things like that. Now that you are retired maybe you should apply for a job with the Vindy as an investigative reporter . Finally, I did all of my questioning to the administration, and I was satisfied with there explanations. That is why I supported the increases.
I believe in this difficult financial times you don't increase anything unless it is out of absolute necessity...including trash rates.
When the rates ARE raised by Waste Managemnet we will however be good to go with no hardship, as I believe State law mandates that if monies are certified for a specific pupose they must be held in a separate account for that purpose.
I hope it's an interest bearing account.
P.S. John, I would believe any citizen should be able to ask any question and expect a response from you as a representative of not only your ward, but all the city's residents.
Maggy:
I live on the North Side, 3rd Ward, yet John has responded to my posts and concerns in a timely manner and in a very courteous manner even though at times I may have been a bit brisk.
To the best of my knowledge, no other Councilman has taken advantage of this board which doesn't speak well for them.
For my part, I thank Captain John.
Maggy,
You're right citizens have the right to ask questions . I think that I am usually very responsive. But I can't answer questions that maybe only the administration should answer. In the same vain, people should not make blanket statements that tend to incrimate innocent leaders just for their own pleasure.
swierz you would not have a backlash from me if council and the mayor was up and up with this trash rate increase. conspiracy questions are ask when the government leaders do something that takes the public by surprise such as this trash rate increase. i ask a question that was outside the box that would provoke a honest discussion in which it did. swierz, what questions did you asked to the mayor and what were his answers? i agree with towntalk that other council reps should take advantage of this website for public discussions with ytown populace. the council reps knew taking this leadership role in ytown was not going to be walk in the park that is the reason why anyone that has this job should dedicate this job to full-time not parttime. this council will either make or break ytown because all eyes are on the ytown's leadership to bring ytown around financially sound that is the reason this should be held by inds, who can devote their entire day in representing their ward, not in the evening hours after they are clock out for the day from their career jobs. the vindy's editor dan manigone is too pro williams that he lost his ability to guide his journalists to write unbiased pieces concerning this ytown mayor's tenure.
FYI
The Vindicator
Tod Franko – Managing Editor
Dennis Mangan – Editorial Page Editor
David Skolnick – Politics/City Hall
Dennis Mangan is as bias as they come. It's his way or no way at all. If Dennis believes pigs can fly, then you need a shotgun to shoot them porkers down to get some bacon....or swine flu.
towntalk thank you for the info. bobcat you are correct concerning mangan. he is pro ytown but he lives in the suburbs.