Seeking budget solutions

Trash subsidies

Regarding “Trash subsidies to HOAs among cuts Turner is eyeing” (Page A3, Monday), for the city to break even by scrapping the reimbursements, 75 percent of the homeowner associations with private services would have to retain them and absorb the loss of reimbursements.

If any percentage less than that occurs, it will cost the city money to eliminate garbage reimbursement fees because the city spends $18 per house per month on garbage but pays HOA’s with private services reimbursements of $6 per house per month.

For my HOA in the Westchester subdivision, private garbage services represent 26 percent of our total budget. For us to absorb the $6 fee, we would have to raise our assessments 11 percent. I doubt if our lot owners would vote for such an increase. We are more likely to drop private garbage services and go with city garbage.

This proposed city plan is even more hurtful as our largest expense is for Harris County Constable services, 27 percent of expenses, which we need because the city police department cannot provide basic security services. My subdivision is in District G that supplies a substantial percentage of city revenues. District G gets nothing like that in spending and services from the city.

Cost savings do exist in other places. Just download city budgets and you will see over-staffing at senior levels in all city departments. This is where cuts are needed. J. V. Smith, Houston

Savvy HOAs

The homeowners who have their own private trash pickup are costing the city $6 per month while your article states the city pays $18 per month for residents who do not have private trash pickup. Who is subsidizing whom?

Now for a better question: How can a small HOA get trash picked up twice a week at their back door for $23.52, according to the article, when it costs the city, which should get a significant volume discount, $18 to pick up at the curb once a week? David R. Stewart, Houston