County fee and charges changes include bag tag hike to $3
Administrator | Mar 21, 2012 | Comments 53
Fee changes will shift costs for some Prince Edward County services from property taxes to user fees.
Examples of full cost recovery are the building permit process and other land development fees, GIS mapping services for the public, issuing of marriage licenses and the services provided to external agencies.
Partial cost recovery, or services that have user fees but are subsidized by the property tax base, include arena and community centre rentals, ice rentals and other recreational services.
Services fully funded by the tax base include road and winter maintenance, and parks.
The municipality is reviewing its waste management fees with the goal of full cost recovery and encouraging recycling and waste diversion. Increased user fees for garbage collection and landfill and transfer sites fees will come into effect Monday, April 2.
Garbage bag tags have increased to $3 per tag. The current $2 blue tags will be accepted at the curb and landfill and transfer sites until April 2nd. Effective April 2nd, the new $3 pink tags must be used for all household refuse. The $2 blue tags can be traded in at any of the outlets which sell bag tags, including: Shire Hall, the Edward Building, all landfill and transfer sites, and the Picton Fire Hall.
Projected revenues generated by the new bylaw will be factored into the current year’s operating budget.
Click here for the 34-page bylaw for the 2012 fees and charges:
Filed Under: Local News
About the Author:
I was curious to know the average number of bags of garbage per household per week. And the number is (you’ll be surprised) 0.5 — i.e. one bag every two weeks. This is undoubted due to the County’s older population and to the fact that there is a charge for each bag.
So, the increase from $2 to $3 represents an increase of only $26 per year for many households, especially seniors. But could be $52 per year or even more for younger / larger households.
Thanks to Treasurer James Hepburn and Public Works Commissioner Robert McAuley for digging out (!) this information.
The broader public sector are all facing a 2 year wage freeze. For managers in that sector that will be 4 years as their wages have been frozen the last 2. It frustrates me to no end that municipal workers do not fall under that legislation. It’s still tax dollars paying the wages whether it is provincial or local taxpayers. As for keeping staff in the County, most left because of the repressive culture within Shire Hall. The new CAO doesn’t want to freeze wages for fear he will lose the support of staff. The last CAO worked 4 days a week on full salary because of Councils sweetheart deal. It all adds up to no accountability. Just one more glaring reason why an “independent” staffing review as to what levels we require and how staffing efficiencies can be found must take place. It takes leadership to undertake that, something to this point senior staff and Council are unwilling to tackle. It is easier to pass the buck to the local taxpayer and cry we did our best. Well thus far their best is not good enough.
Mark and Marnie have hit the nail on the head. Council does not exist to keep staff happy they exist to help the people of the county who right now are being taken to the cleaners.
We can not afford an increase in taxes as well as paying high fees for water and sewer,another dollar for garbage
Why would council want to hire a communications person–to comnunicate with whom. Reduce the size of council as the ratepayers want. What is this GSI system? to keep track of county trucks? Have them sign in and out at the county barns with a piece of paper and track their mileage.
Get an independant person to do an audit of staff and expenses and stop fooling around with nickles and dimes.