Trash Pickup Fees Are Increasing In LA For First Time In 17 Years

LOS ANGELES, CA — The City Council Tuesday gave preliminary approval to an ordinance allowing them to increase trash collection fees, the first rate adjustment in 17 years, with the rate hike expected to hit customers next month.

In April, council members instructed the Bureau of Sanitation and City Attorney's office to draft the ordinance to update fees for its trash collection service, formally known as the Solid Resources Program. On Tuesday, council members voted 12-2 to approve the ordinance, which will require a second vote next week before it can be sent to Mayor Karen Bass for consideration.

Council members Adrin Nazarian and Monica Rodriguez opposed the increase while Councilman Curren Price was absent during the vote.

City officials have said the rate change is necessary to cover organic waste disposal, staff salaries, maintaining vehicles and equipment and inflation.

Under the fee change, single-family homes and duplex buildings will increase 54% from $36.32 to $55.95, and apartments with three to four units will go increase 130% from $24.33 to $55.95. Customers' bi-monthly bill from the Department of Water and Power will jump to $111.90, for example, once the fees are in effect.

Low-income customers who qualify for the city's EZ-SAVE or Lifeline programs can receive lower rates.

The rate adjustment will add another 18% increase over the next four fiscal years, reaching $65.93 a month by the 2029-30 fiscal year for single- family homes, duplex buildings and small apartment buildings. Rate adjustments will affect approximately 743,000 households, and another 474,000 residencies that receive bulky item collection services.

Currently, apartment buildings with five and more units pay full price.

The new rates will put the city in line with neighboring cities such as Burbank, Culver City, Long Beach, and Santa Monica — but will still be on the lower end.

It took the city about six months to finalize the ordinance as they had to comply with Proposition 218, a constitutional amendment that limits the methods by which local governments can levy taxes, fees and charges without taxpayer consent, which required public hearings and an opportunity for taxpayers to oppose the fee that had failed to garner enough signatures.

Bass incorporated the rate increase in her budget for fiscal year 2025- 26 as part of solutions to address a roughly $1 billion deficit. The program has received subsidies from the General Fund in past years — with a $200 million cost this year alone.

City officials said the rate increase will close this strain on the budget.

However, the rate increase was assumed to go into effect Oct. 1. The delay left the city on the hook for an extra $500,000 a day, the Los Angeles Times reported.

According to The Times, the delay is expected to cost the city at least $22 million that will need to be addressed in the future.

It's going to take 31 days for the fee to take effect, meaning it is likely to be official policy by mid-November.

City News Service