Waste Management, who handles the City's recycling and sanitation collection services, mailed a letter to the City recently indicating Governor Doyle’s proposed state budget calls for new taxes of $4.40 on each ton of waste sent to a Wisconsin landfill.
The cost for refuse and recycling services are included as a fee on your tax bill, and that fee will be impacted directly by this increase. Waste Management passes landfill tipping fees and taxes directly back to the City in its regular billings, which are, in turn, paid for using the fees that property owners pay.
According to Waste Management, the super-majority of additional fees will not be used to improve recycling or waste services. The estimated $33 million in additional fees will be used for unrelated state spending, including $21 million in debt service and $4 million to create a new BioEnergy Institute.
I urge our residents to discuss this new “tax” with our State Senator, Judy Robson, to ensure everyone is fully informed. If you feel these fees are not being utilized properly or unnecessary, please let your representatives know. Sen. Robson's contact information is available by clicking here.
