Courtesy of Sun Gazette: For additional information please go to: http://www.sungazette.net/arlington/news/trash-collection-bills-torise-question-is-by-how-much/article_2770cf42-97d4-11e3-b011001a4bcf887a.

html Trash-Collection Bills to Rise Question Is, By How Much? Posted: Monday, February 17, 2014 8:05 am by SCOTT McCAFFREY, Staff Writer The exact amount remains a work in progress, but one thing is for sure: Arlington residential property owners will be paying more in the future for trash collection. County Manager Barbara Donnellan has asked County Board members to advertise a rate increase from $293.76 in the current fiscal year to as much as $313.80 for the year that kicks in July 1. The $20.04 increase is three times the amount needed to meet projected additional costs for running the governments household solid-waste program for the coming year, but Donnellan says there are several variables that may require additional funding.

Whatever rate is set by County Board members at their Feb. 22 meeting will be the maximum that can be charged for the coming fiscal year; as with the real estate tax rate, board members can later approve a rate lower than advertised. A $20.04 increase would represent a 6.8 percent increase in costs for owners of single-family properties and duplexes, who do not have the luxury of shopping around for trash service since the county government maintains a monopoly on it. Townhome communities have the option of participating, but are not obligated to do so. The advertised rate would generate $10.39 million in revenue in the fiscal year beginning July 1. With the governments current contract for waste-collection and recycling services set to expire in June, officials say there is no way to know for now where bids will come in. Advertising a higher rate, they say, will accommodate that uncertainty, and could allow county officials to consider enhancement of existing service, such as year-round yardwaste recycling and food-waste collection. The county government bills property owners for trash and recycling services in quarterly installments. Property owners must pay the bills whether or not a particular property is occupied and producing trash. Arlington officials set rates to recoup 100 percent of the cost of the collection and recycling efforts, and say the annual cost per household remains below that imposed on participating property owners by the local governments in Fairfax County, Alexandria and several Maryland jurisdictions.