Trash collection is not free, and has never been free. The Town pays, with our tax dollars, for every pound of trash collected from our homes. These charges are soaring as landfill space in Massachusetts becomes scarce. Increased trash spending is steadily eating into funds for other important town services like the library, police and fire, schools, community center and more. Without action, the problem will only get worse.

To rein in trash spending, town staff and the Select Board proposed a plan that earned a decisive 70% majority vote at Town Meeting in April after extensive debate. The salient points are:

  1. Every home continues to put out one trash barrel, plus recycling and composting bins, for “free” (i.e., paid for by the town with our tax dollars!). Only trash beyond one barrel may incur a reasonable fee. The Select Board will provide exemptions for households with mobility, medical, or income needs. 
  2. Most surrounding towns including Arlington, Bedford, Belmont, Concord, Carlisle, Wayland, Weston, Wellesley, Woburn have already implemented similar programs. The results are impressive – their trash levels have decreased by 25-50% through increased composting, recycling, diversion to reuse, repair, donation etc. – thus decreasing trash spending. 

After Town Meeting, some opponents of the Town’s plan petitioned for a town-wide voter referendum. A YES vote in the referendum allows the Town to move forward with its plan, including reasonable overage fees. A NO vote would require the Town to collect essentially unlimited trash from every household for “free”, derailing the Town’s plans to contain trash spending.

We ask you to vote YES because the Town’s plan is fair and fiscally responsible. Overage fees are fair, because households that generate more trash should pay for the excess costs – just like how neighbors who use more water or electricity pay more. Most households only need one barrel and will not pay a fee. The plan is fiscally responsible as it is a proven strategy to reduce trash levels and thus spending. At a moment like now, when town spending and taxes are on top of many residents’ minds, the new plan is projected to reduce the town’s trash budget by $300,000-$500,000 annually to be available for other vital services! 

All of us will benefit from a smarter use of tax dollars. Keep a lid on trash spending by voting YES on June 16!

David Simons, Chair, YES for Fiscal Responsibility

Kavitha Venkatesan, Treasurer, YES for Fiscal Responsibility

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