The proposed FY2016 budget for the Town of Bowling Green, which calls for no increase in real estate or personal property taxes, elicited little comment at a public hearing last Thursday.
It is not without some controversy, however.
Although refuse collection takes up about 6 percent of the town’s budget, residents are divided on the issue of reducing the cost further by cutting curbside trash collection from twice a week to once a week. Members of Town Council also appear divided on the issue.
The current budget for curbside trash collection is $106,808. The proposed budget submitted by Town Manager Stephen Manster cuts this cost to $92,800 by switching to once-weekly pickups. Under this plan, residents would also have a separate curbside container for recyclables and would be encouraged to step up recycling efforts in their homes.
Several people spoke out in favor of this plan and several against, both in the public hearing on the budget and during the public comment period of the regular meeting that followed the hearing.
Mark Gaines said he thought once-a-week pickup with a separate container for recycling would work fine.
James Hambley agreed. “I have experienced this once a week in Virginia Beach and Norfolk and there are a lot of misconceptions about odor problems that have proved not to be true. The odor problem is a myth. Recycling works well,” he said.
Bonnie Cannon said she opposed once-a-week pickups. “If you do this I would like to opt out. If I have to go to the landfill anyway, I don’t want to pay for pickup,” she said. Two other residents stood and expressed similar sentiments.
During earlier discussions on the issue in…
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