The Price Of Recycling Your Stuff In Caledonia Will Likely Increase

Village residents will likely pay more to recycle in the Village, but people taking their leaves and grass to the Village may also have to pony up some cash.

The Public Works Committee has been discussing a potential increase in the recycling fee from $33.50 to $37.20, an 11 percent increase.  One Village Board member is also talking about proposing that a charge be imposed on those residents who want their leaves and grass composted.

Jerry Griswold, a Village Board and Public Works Committee member, explained that state Legislators cut the recycling grant funds from $94,000 to $61,000 and to offset the grant reduction, they’ll need to increase the recycling fee.

In a separate but related issue, Griswold also wants the Village to start charging residents who bring their leaves and their grass to the Village for composting. An estimated 2,000 residents use the service, which costs about $65,000 a year.

“Other taxpayers are subsidizing the cost,” Griswold said. “I think it’s more fair to not have the subsidy occur. Most of us use other alternatives like using a composting mower or having a small compost site at our homes.”

Griswold proposed having the Village sell a sticker starting on July 15 next year, which would allow them to bring in grass and leaves for $15 for the first half of the year.

“Once we find out how many customers we got, then we can get an approximate cost for 2013,” Griswold said. “I’m giving this to the Board tonight to let the board know about this so that at the budget hearings we can talk about it.

Jim Dobbs, a Village Board member and Public Works Committee member, said he believes the program would be a nightmare to administer because of the cost or printing fliers and stickers, and the labor that would be involved.

“I understand the recycling rate may go up to $37.50, but that’s because of the budget with the state,” Dobbs said.

Griswold berated Dobbs saying that he didn’t know the difference between a user fee and a tax.

“Only a trustee that worked his whole life in the city of Racine would not know the difference between a tax and a user fee,” Griswold said. “I don’t think the City (of Racine) has had a user fee, I don’t think ever. And every time they run short of money, they increase their taxes or they look to Mt. Pleasant or to screw them over so that they can get more money, or they look to the federal government."

Griswold said he wanted to prevent a monopoly from happening with the vendor they currently use for composting.

Both issues have not been formally recommended to the Board. Griswold said he’s working on drafting the proposal and will bring the matter in front of the Village Board when they discuss the 2011-12 budget over the next few weeks.