CHESAPEAKE
The City Council voted 7-0 early Wednesday to support a measure that would allow the Southeastern Public Service Authority to control where all the region’s trash goes for disposal.
The city joined five other Hampton Roads localities in supporting “flow control,” which city officials hope will ultimately save residents money as Chesapeake’s tipping fees are reduced.
The trash authority’s plan has faced significant opposition from private haulers, who argue they will have to up customers’ bills to pay for higher tipping fees.
SPSA officials say flow control would simply even out the amount cities and private haulers have to pay. Right now, the cities pay $100 per each ton of trash while private haulers only pay $28 per ton, said Felicia Blow, the agency’s spokeswoman. Chesapeake Deputy City Manager Betty Meyer said the city’s tipping fees increased more than $5 million this year.
Meyer said flow control, and the lower tipping fees, could save the city more than $5 million each year if Virginia Beach articipates – and flow control alone could reduce the city’s real-estate tax rate by about 2 cents. If the city’s current rate of $1.04 per $100 of assessed value was reduced to $1.02, the owner of a $200,000 home would save about $40 in city taxes.
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Interesting comment from Mr. Barrett
Considering that you support the use of City Funds for building beach projects that uses taxpayer money. That money too has to come from somewhere no matter who does and who doesn't use them...
There is no savings!
Regretfully, you fail to point out the obvious; that is, if flow control is revenue neutral for SPSA, and the municipal government pays less, then someone else is paying more. Who is that someone else? It is those who live in apartments, condominiums, and those who own and operate business property like hotels, motels, retail stores, industrial buildings, offices, and city agencies which don't receive municipal collection. So at the end of the day, there is no savings; the costs just get shifted to those who don't receive city refuse collection, but who pay the same tax rate as those who do. Your reporter should point that out, and not let city officials claim a benefit that simply burdens some and benefits others.
The Math doesn't add up
I don't know where these guys get these numbers. The problem isn't the $100 being charged to the Cities. The system itself COSTS too much. When you average all the costs of the system on a per ton basis, the number is about $68 per ton. Everyone (cities, businesses, citizens) in the Hampton Roads area has several much cheaper alternatives available through the private sector. The going rate in Hampton Roads should be around $32/ton even including profits. The difference between $32 and $68 at SPSA is due to poor management, extravagant programs, excessive interest costs from years of over building and over paying... The cities let SPSA do this for the last 20 years and now they are going to transfer the burden of thier mistakes to the small businesses and industry in the area. The tax reduction, that will of course never materialize, is a drop in the bucket compared to the $18,000,000 per year they are passing on to the business community which will of course result in more expensive gas, milk, big macs and other necessities. What's wrong with you people. SPSA can't control its spending when the pressure of competition is on them. How do you expect them to control themselves with a
When are the city leaders going to admit SPSA is a failure?
The director of SPSA seems to just walk all over the board, even to the point of getting raises and huge bonuses while he continues in the same failed direction as always. It's really time to clean house in SPSA and quit throwing more and more money at it. It's time to fire Hatfield and hire new eyes to at least make an attempt to recover. If we continue to make the same actions, we will continue to get the same results. I for one, cannot afford to pay more taxes and fees, so I reconize it is time to either move out of the area or start voting out the lifetime politicians. Why are we going down the same failed path we have already traveled?