| Dear Reading Votes, Although trash is not the most scintillating subject, we are duty-bound to alert you to significant changes that will affect your life and pocketbook. Please read on, because this really does affect you. |
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| Contractual changes for trash and recycling The contracts for trash and recycling services are up for a major renegotiation. This November, Town Meeting will vote on whether to spend $900k from free cash to purchase town-owned barrels, as opposed to the individually-owned barrels we’re all used to. Town-owned barrels are uniform and allow for mechanized pick-up. So, what’s the problem? The problem is: purchasing these barrels—rather than letting residents choose their own—is a Trojan horse for the town to impose whatever lease costs they want on Reading residents for the barrels. Right now, it’s pitched as a mere $200/a year for a second barrel. But that could go up—and up and up. The town assumes—without strong data—this $200/year will be enough to cover part or all of a projected million-dollar delta in the rubbish and disposal contract costs. If it doesn’t? Reading could start treating trash pickup on a pro-rata volume basis, which we are not accustomed to for trash and recycling services. After all, people with four kids don’t pay more school taxes than those with two, or zero. But under this scenario, people with bigger families would pay more for garbage and recycling. And they’d be faced with unpredictable, escalating costs over the years. Happening soon This November, Town Meeting will vote on whether to spend $900k from free cash to purchase the town-owned barrels. You might even hear some Town meeting members say that “we are just voting on the purchase of the barrels”. That could not be further from the truth! If Town meeting passes the purchase of the barrels, they are giving the green light to the Town and Select Board to implement whatever lease costs they want on Reading residents on the barrels. Forever. This should be concerning to everyone. The Town needs to figure out how to balance the budget and not impose an additional cost on Reading residents. What the Town is proposing is to turn our trash service into a restricted utility. Just like they raise electricity rates, and most recently, water rates, what prevents them from increasing the “trash utility” costs? The answer is simple: nothing. If you don’t pay your electric bill, they shut off your electricity. If you don’t pay your water bill, they shut off your water. Imagine getting an annual lease bill for $200, then $400, then $600 a year. And if you don’t pay your lease, you lose your barrels or trash/recycling service. Reading Votes recommendations Rather than moving to an uncertain, potentially escalating lease-based system, trash service should continue to be funded within the tax levy: no additional fees required. If the town cannot figure out how to finance increasing trash/recycling costs—and given current inflationary pressures on the cost of all services, it is fair to expect this will not be the only increase the town will have to accommodate—it should put a proposition 2 1/2 override in front of the voters. Then we’ll know exactly what the increase in our property tax will look like, without hypotheticals. And the service will remain in the levy. The Town will likely be hesitant to go the route of a 2 ½ override. Why? Because they will likely go before the voters for an override on other competing priorities and capital projects like the Killam school or potentially a Senior/Community center. So not only might your property taxes go up significantly to fund one of these capital projects, but you’ll also have to pay out of pocket to cover your trash costs too. This town belongs to taxpaying residents. Put it all before the voters and let them decide what the right priorities are. We don’t need Town employees making that decision for us. ACTION ALERT Please take under one minute to send a message to your town meeting representatives (covering your precinct) before the meeting on November 17 using the automated email generator on the town’s website: https://www.readingma.gov/575/town-meeting Scroll to the Contact Town Meeting Members section and select your precinct. Here is suggested text; feel free to modify. “Dear Town Meeting Member, I am writing to ask that you vote against the town’s plan to establish a solid waste revolving fund, against the adoption of a policy to charge residents for use of a second barrel, and against the plan for the town to purchase and own all the trash barrels.  I support the action to buy the larger recycle barrels for all residents. Residents should directly decide on town priorities!” State Update There are a few citizen petitions making their way around the state for signatures to get onto the November 2024 ballot.  One that we think you should be aware of is Voter ID.  Although the state failed to get enough signatures last year, this latest petition appears to be more comprehensive and addresses some of the criticisms raised.  For more information and to learn how to help and/or sign the petition, please visit. Help make IDs a requirement to vote! https://ma4voterid.org Until next time, Your friends at Reading Votes: The Commonsense Voter Project |
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Action Alert: Say No to Trash Fee Increases in Reading
