{"id":38526,"date":"2025-11-19T12:08:24","date_gmt":"2025-11-19T12:08:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/38526\/"},"modified":"2025-11-19T12:08:24","modified_gmt":"2025-11-19T12:08:24","slug":"big-increase-in-palmer-township-garbage-bills-is-predicted-for-next-year","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/38526\/","title":{"rendered":"Big increase in Palmer Township garbage bills is predicted for next year"},"content":{"rendered":"

Palmer Township<\/a>\u2019s residents\u2019 trash bills will go up next year. It\u2019s just a matter of how much, according to township officials.<\/p>\n

Township Deputy Director of Public Services Tyler Lapham said the contract with WM, formerly Waste Management, ends in April. The company declined to offer an extension, he said<\/a> at a township supervisors\u2019 meeting earlier this month.<\/p>\n

A study<\/a> compiled by the township suggests bills could go up 30 to 40% at the start of the next contract.<\/p>\n

Lapham predicts tipping fees will go up 40%. Tipping fees are the cost landfills charge to accept garbage. Hauling fees, the cost to get the trash from your home to the landfill, are expected to double, Lapham said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are looking at a drastic increase no matter what decision we make,\u201d he said, according to the meeting minutes<\/a> from Nov. 3.<\/p>\n

The supervisors considered dropping its single-hauler system to allow residents to choose their own haulers and potentially save money. They ultimately decided to solicit bids for a new single-hauler contract, according to the meeting minutes.<\/p>\n

Individual haulers would mean more trash trucks, more traffic and more wear and tear on township roads, Lapham warned.<\/p>\n

Resident Ruthann Cardell said if residents can save money by choosing their own hauler, it\u2019s worth a try. The prospective cost of trash pickup is a big concern, she said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is a significant burden, especially when combined with stormwater fees and the likelihood of rising taxes,\u201d she is quoted as saying in the meeting minutes.<\/p>\n

Lapham said the individual hauler model makes sense for rural communities, but Palmer is densely populated.<\/p>\n

Supervisor Joseph Armato suggested gathering more information from other municipalities but agreed to continue with a single hauler. Supervisor K. Michael Mitchell, Township Manager Robert Williams and resident Charles Diefenderfer also spoke in favor of continuing with a single hauler.<\/p>\n

J.P. Mascaro collects recyclables for the township. Mascaro provided some preliminary estimates, suggesting that the current tipping and hauling fees of $78 and $115 would increase to $90 and $127.50 if residents were allowed to individually choose Mascaro as their hauler. Those figures are subject to contract terms, Lapham said. <\/p>\n

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