The new green bin program has been criticized as rushed and unfair.
The proposed method of paying for the city’s new green bin program has left residents feeling that the decision was rushed, unfair, and just another tax hike from the city.
The city planning and environment committee passed its budget earlier this month calling on homeowners to pay a $68-per-year user fee for green bin collection. The budget has yet to be approved by the full city council.
“I’m all for environmental things, but it was clear from being in there that they were not proactive about this whole thing,” says Joanne Di Riamo, a Centretown resident who spoke at the meeting.
Alta Vista Ward Coun. Peter Hume, who heads the committee, told councillors he was surprised by the number of residents who, after seeing the proposed annual service bill, told him they no longer wanted to be part of the program.
Many residents came forward saying they already compost organics in their backyard and after realizing how much it will cost, they don't want to be part of it, says Hume.
This lack of support sprung from the city’s failed attempt to convey the value of the program, he says, adding that Ottawa residents are forgetting the city’s looming expense of finding a new dumpsite – $250 million, potentially – and that diverting organics from the dump would prolong its life by five years.
But Di Riamo disagrees. She says the city is charging homeowners too much.
“When they try to say that it’s a communication problem, they’re full of it,” says Di Riamo
“It [the green bin program] started as a pilot project 10 years ago,” says Di Riamo. “I was involved with the program since the beginning,” she says.
Since the city already offered green, blue, and black bins for many years, the new tax hike seems unwarranted, especially since homeowners are bearing the brunt of the cost, says Di Riamo.
“The city just wants to raise taxes to $195,” she says.
But it’s too late to change the program, says Hume.
“We’re faced with an interesting challenge where we’ve got bins on the street with contracts that have been signed, and we have to figure out how we’re going to pay for the service.”
The city knew since contracts were signed in 2008 that the program would cause a $17 million budget pressure, says Hume.
“Had we done it then [decided how to pay for the program] and said it’s coming in a year’s time, maybe the public reaction would have been different.”
This lack of foresight was one reason Di Riamo says she is concerned with the program.
“Why didn’t they look into this 10 years ago?”
Under the proposed user fee billing system, the cost of the program falls heavily on homeowners because businesses and rural residents won’t be receiving the service, and apartment buildings have a cheaper, collective pickup method.
Although the budget did pass, and some councilors such as Clive Doucet say the program is going to be fair to everyone, there was opposition.
Everyone should pay for this program because it benefits everyone, says Beacon Hill-Cyrville Ward Coun. Michel Bellemare.
The quarter-billion-dollar expense of finding a new landfill is something the whole city will have to pay for, and extending the life of the landfill will benefit everyone by putting off that expense, says Bellemare.
“If we were to spread the cost of organics collection across all property taxes the burden on home owners would be more along the lines of $32 as opposed to $68,” he says.
Bellemare also says he opposes the user fee because it takes the rewards from people’s hard work sorting their waste and gives them to people not involved in the program.
Businesses, rural residents and apartments will receive lower garbage and yard waste collection fees because of tonnage reductions made by people paying for the compost program, says Bellemare.
“What we’re going to see now is homeowners are expected to foot 100 per cent of the cost of organics collection,” says Bellemare.