Pflugerville City Council Approves Trash, Recycling Service Fee Increase

PFLUGERVILLE, TX --

City officials approved an increase in residntial trash and recycling pickup service while maintaining the rates are still among the lowest in Central Texas.

The 30-cent increase is the first such rise in six years, officials said. City Council members approved the increase at their last regular meeting, and it took effect the same day, April 12.

“The city has continuously worked to maintain low and competitive rates for our residents,” assistant city manager Lauri Gillam said. “The city has had a contract with Progressive Waste Solutions since 2010, and as the cost of services continues to increase, for the first time in six years, residents will see an increase on their monthly bill. The impact will be $3.60 per year for the average customer, a $0.30 per month increase.”

In March 2016, the City Council approved an amendment to the city’s solid waste contract with Progressive Waste Solutions which allowed for a 2% price adjustment, officials explained.

The city was able to keep the issued rate increase from affecting residential bills in 2009, but officials said this time a small increase was deemed necessary.

"The city of Pflugerville compared rates for solid waste and recycling with other cities in our area, and with the increase of monthly residential retail rate from $15.60 to the new rate of $15.90 for residents and $17.90 for out-of-city customers, Pflugerville’s service is still the lowest rate in the area," Gillam said.

A customer’s bill includes the cost of the Progressive Waste Solutions trash and recycling service, associated sales tax and a franchise fee which is allocated to the General Fund to pay for administrative services and the use of the city’s rights-of-way, city officials noted.

They outlined what they called "perks" to the local service not found in other municipalities:

• Pflugerville Trash Pickup Perks: In Pflugerville you can leave up to six items curbside on your trash pickup day including furniture and mattresses. Freezers and refrigerators can be left curbside if freon is removed by a licensed technician and a certification sticker is on the item. Stoves, washers and dryers can be left curbside for pickup.
• Recycle Perks:
  Plastics #1-7, paper, cans and glass are collected curbside every other week.
  
  Residents can sign up by neighborhood to receive an email or text notification when it's the right week to put out their recycling cart by signing up here.