Santa Fe Considers Higher Recycling Fees to Pay for Improved Equipment

Albuquerque Journal

The city of Santa Fe is proposing a rate increase for both residential curbside and commercial recycling fees to help pay for the equipment it needs to fully implement its planned single-stream recycling program with automated pick-up.

A public hearing on the proposed rates, which would increase residential rates by 14.1 percent, will be held during Wednesday’s City Council meeting sometime after 7 p.m. However, the City Council won’t take action on the proposal before Jan. 13.

The proposed increase would generate approximately $760,000 each year and be used to pay off a $4.2 million New Mexico Finance Authority loan for vehicles, roll-off dumpsters and carts and aims to “assure that rates will not have to be increased again until after 2020,” according to city documents. The rate increase would go into effect July 1 and automated single-stream recycling service is expected to start up next September.

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