Garbage collection fee to increase by $10
Residents to pay $200 per year
Wilkinsburg residents will pay $10 more for garbage and recycling collection this year.
Council voted 8-1 to increase the fee to $200 per year, up from $190 in 2016.
Wilkinsburg contracts with the city of Pittsburgh for garbage collection, and the fee is based on the amount the borough pays the city for the service, Councilman Patrick Shattuck said.
If Wilkinsburg didn’t raise the rate, the borough would have to subsidize $50,000 of the amount paid to Pittsburgh, he said.
Councilman Marc Taiani, the only council member who voted against the increase, said, “I think we’ve raised this every year I’ve been on council. I’m opposed to raising this to $200.”
The fee is collected as a one-time annual payment from residents.
Councilman Michael Lefebvre noted that the borough has not raised the real estate tax rate since 2004.
“We’re trying to do everything we possibly can [to not raise taxes]. Ten dollars is a small, small increase, rather than increasing millage,” Mr. Lefebvre said.
“In the long run, it saves everyone the pain of a millage rate [increase],” Councilwoman Vanessa McCarthy-Johnson said.
The garbage collection rate could decrease in the future if costs go down.
Also at the Jan. 12 meeting, council voted 7-2 to apply for a $2 million Pennsylvania Infrastructure Bank loan, which would be used to pave nearly 70 Wilkinsburg streets. The loan would be for 10 years at an interest rate of 1.625 percent.
Mr. Taiani and Evan Diamond dissented, with Mr. Taiani saying the borough should look to reduce the property tax rate, not take out a loan.
Council also set its 2017 permit fees. The fee for applying for a subdivision and land development permit is increasing from $1,000 to $1,200 due to the cost of advertising and public hearings related to the process.
Councilwoman Marita Garrett said she hoped that within the next month, council meetings will be recorded and placed on YouTube for those who are not able to attend the meetings. She said the borough is looking to buy a recorder for this purpose.