LG Garbage Rates Could Be Going Up

Waste Management wants to raise garbage rates for La Grange residents by 10 percent.

The company’s contract with the City, which expires in 2026, allows Waste Management to raise rates by no more than five percent annually. La Grange City Council must sign off on any rate increase above that amount. Matt Myers, senior account executive for Waste Management, presented the company’s case for a 10 percent rate hike at last Monday’s City Council meeting.

Myers said fuel costs increased by nearly 106 percent between 2020 and 2022. Moreover, he said the company’s labor costs increased by nearly 21 percent during that time.

“To retain good qualified drivers and hire new drivers with a good work record and excellent safety record, we’ve had to pay more in hourly wages,” Myers said. “It also involves signing bonuses, and for our existing drivers, retention bonuses.”

“I’ve got to speak for the people on fixed incomes who live in our city,” said Councilman Ken Taylor. “Everything is going up – food, fuel, taxes … everything. I don’t know the answer. I got a problem with that. I’ve got to speak for the people who are trying to live off of Social Security, like $600 a month. You can’t do it. In our country, state and city, everything is going up.

“I understand your situation, believe me,” Taylor said to Myers. “But I don’t know how we can continue to do what we’re doing to folks on fixed incomes.”

Councilwoman Kathy Weishuhn expressed a concern that residents could see even higher rate hikes in the future if the City denies the request.

“My worry is that if we don’t go incremental with the rates – we know everything costs more money – then when we get to the next contract we’ll see a huge spike,” Weishuhn said. “That’s three years away. I don’t see anything going down in cost.”

If Council approves the entire 10 percent increase, residential rates would go from $21.83 to $24.01 per month. The monthly rate for an extra cart would go from $6 to $6.60.

Council took no action on the request Monday night. City Manager Fred Bell said he and staff would develop a recommendation and present it to the Council at a future meeting.