Laguna Beach Council Votes To Increase Trash Collection Rates

LAGUNA BEACH, CA -- Laguna Beach City Council this week voted to raise resident homeowners' trash bills to annually increase by 2.5% each year for the next three years, in part to cover an annual revenue shortfall.

The annual hikes amount to a 7.5% total increase in the cost of hauling Laguna Beach’s trash over the next three years.

Residential rates for trash pickup were last adjusted in July 2016 under a very similar measure to the newly passed one: a 2.5% annual hike for three years, ending in the 2018-2019 fiscal year.

"However, expenditures continue to exceed revenues due to an annual revenue shortfall by an average of one percent," Assistant City Manager/Director of Public Works Shohreh Davis explained in a document presented to the City Council. "The recommendation is to continue moderate increases to the rates."

The approved increase goes into effect with the new fiscal year, which begins July 1.