CHESAPEAKE, Va. — Chesapeake City Council members voted against adopting a proposed solid waste and recycling fee that could have cost households about $325 a year.
Chesapeake Mayor Rick West said if city council members approved it, that money would have funded a pay plan for city employees and people working in public safety.
“I think it was very unfortunate, very short-sighted to have done this but it is done, unfortunately,” said West.
Now, a backup plan is needed.
He explained, “We are now going to have to look at other taxes, or what other fees that we can implement and what other cuts we can make to be able to make to pay for this pay plan.”
Some options on the table, according to Mayor West, are raising Chesapeake’s meal tax, cigarette tax, spending reserve money and/or possibly stopping curbside recycling.
West said, “If things stay as they are, it is a very good chance, in fact, it’s most likely that we will not have curbside. Now, I’ll say this: it is my hope to be able to find a way to revisit this issue.”
On Tuesday night, council members asked the city manager to bring forward a few options on how to fund the public safety pay plan without the proposed trash and recycling fee. It’s expected to be brought up during a December meeting.
“It’s confusing, it means right now things are still up in the air. There needs to be a lot more work done to determine the course of action that we are going to take,” West said.
Chesapeake city leaders said curbside recycling started in 2008. Every year, people who live in the city recycle about 14,000 tons. It’s currently the only city in Hampton Roads that doesn’t charge a solid waste and recycling fee.