Batesville Council approves fee increase for trash pickup; first bump since 2010

Batesville Council approves fee increase for trash pickup; first bump since 2010

By Bob Qualls

The Batesville City Council approved a resolution increasing fees for trash and garbage pickup service at their Tuesday meet.

The resolution, introduced last month and tabled until Tuesday’s meeting, sets the residential garbage and trash pickup fee at $13.60 cents per month per household. It increases the trash fees about 30 cents a month.

Mayor Rick Elumbaugh said the rates have not been increased since 2010.

Another provision of the resolution says that occupants of a house or living unit age 65 or older whose household income is under $14,000 annually would have a reduced fee of $8.75 a month. Previous exemption rates granted for hardship were repealed under the resolution.

At the Dec. 18, 2017 meeting, the council discussed changing either the age limit or income threshold for the hardship rate. Councilman Doug Matthews asked whether the age should be raised to 70. He also said the $10,000 income level should be raised because it has not changed in years. The council decided to leave the age limit at 65 but raised the income level to $16,000 a year.

The resolution also increases commercial and industrial rates. The rates are based on container size and the number of pickups per week.

The vote on the fee increase was unanimous.

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