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"Taxpayer-funded" garbage bag tags could be a thing of the past in Kincardine

January 4, 2015

If you were expecting your “free” or more-aptly-named “taxpayer-funded” garbage bag tags to arrive in the mail, or pick them up at the Kincardine municipal hall, you will be sadly disappointed.

Kincardine council has placed a moratorium on the tags until a decision is made at the Jan. 12 budget meeting on whether to move to a complete user-pay system for solid waste removal.

The discussion came up at the initial budget meeting, held in early December.

Chief administrative officer Murray Clarke explained that under the current model, all users pay the same municipal taxes regardless of how much waste they generate and dispose of at the curb or at the landfill site.

“This model does not provide a link between the actual cost of waste disposal and individual waste production,” said Clarke. “There is logic in relating the consolidated solid waste program to our liquid waste program (i.e. sewage and wastewater) which is funded on a platform of full user-pay.”

He said a full user-pay model would increase waste diversion through recycling, and general waste reduction from more prudent household and workplace management.

The benefits of a user-pay model are:

  • Direct financial incentive to reduce waste and encourage a shift toward recycling
  • Waste collection costs are distributed more fairly and in proportion to the amount of waste each user generates
  • Extends the useful life of the municipal landfill site
  • Reduces the administrative resources associated with the existing “free” bag-tag system

Clarke said discussions about a user-pay model in Kincardine are not new. The issue was brought up in September, 2002, and again in 2009, and once more in 2011. Originally, each household was issued 52 bag tags each year. This allotment was later reduced to 26 per year which was intended as a step toward a full user-pay model.

“Kincardine is currently the only municipality in Bruce County that issues 'free' bag tags,” said Clarke.

He added that the B.M. Ross and Associates report in August, 2014, stated that waste management is trending toward a user-pay model, often treated like a utility with full cost recovery. “Kincardine's waste disposal program is heavily supported by the property tax and should move toward a revenue-neutral model.”

Clarke said the draft 2015 budget incorporates $230,000 in additional revenue from the elimination of “free” bag tags. Without this revenue, an additional tax rate increase of 2.35 per cent would be required.

“I'm in favour of keeping the 'free' bag tags,” said councillor Randy Roppel. “Or put the cost of solid waste removal back on the property taxes and petition the provincial government for funding to burn the garbage. Build an incinerator and then we can create revenue streams by having other municipalities bring their garbage here to burn.”

Councillor Maureen Couture spoke in favour of the user-pay model which was what the former Town of Kincardine did back in 1994. “There are people who will enforce this,” she said. “We went through bags of garbage left on the side of the road and we took them back to the owners and, suddenly, bag tags were not a problem.”

She added that Bruce Area Solid Waste Recycling should be encouraged to develop the kitchen waste program, if Kincardine switches to user-pay for garbage disposal.

“It's amazing how much you can reduce your garbage,” said councillor Laura Haight. “When Huron-Kinloss Township switched to a complete user-pay model, there were some problems at the start but people came around. And by the way, these are 'allotted' tags, they are not 'free'.”

Councillor Jacqueline Faubert asked if there would still be a cost on the tax rate, if Kincardine goes to a user-pay model.

Clarke said there is, but it would be off-set by revenue from the waste management centre which is about $400,000. Without switching to a user-pay model, Kincardine already brings in about $70,000 from bag tags, he said.

“I would like to see the cost of bag tags reduced to $2 from $2.50 per tag,” said mayor Anne Eadie.

Council approved a moratorium on “free” bag tags until a decision is made at the next budget meeting.

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