Phoenix City Council votes 8-1 to increase solid waste removal fees

PHOENIX — The Phoenix City Council voted Wednesday to raise solid waste removal fees for around 425,000 customers starting in July.

The council passed the rate increase with a vote of 8-1, with Councilman Jim Wearing being the only dissenting vote.

Residents’ monthly garbage fees will go up by $5 in July, with additional increases of $5 in July 2027 and $4 in July 2028. This means that the total increase will be $14 over three years.

There will also be an annual inflationary increase, which will not exceed 5%, from July 2029 to July 2033 to control costs incrementally and mitigate the need for large price spikes.

In addition, the city’s monthly subscription fee for its Green Organics Collection program will now be a quarter of the monthly solid waste rate, meaning the cost will raise from $5 a month per container to $10.58 a month as of July 1. The price will then increase to $11.83 in July 2027 and $12.83 in July 2028.

“This rate adjustment will ensure the operation can meet rising inflationary costs, prepare for future customer growth and continue to provide essential solid waste collection and management,” Public Works Director Felipe Moreno said in a news release.

While presenting to the council, Moreno cited cost increases in three key areas: people (32%), equipment (52%) and infrastructure (40%).

The solid waste removal fee was last raised in 2020.

Alongside solid waste removal fee hike, Phoenix increases program discount

The council did provide a little bit of reprieve from the price hikes by voting to increase the Save As You Reduce & Recycle program’s monthly discount. Customers who use a smaller, 60-gallon trash container instead of the standard, 90-gallon trash container will now get a $5 monthly rebate instead of a $3 one.

In addition, Public Works will be providing $440,000 annually to the $1.2 million Project Assist fund for residents in need of help paying for city services.

“My biggest concern is for our residents who may struggle with these rate increases,” Council member Anna Hernandez said during the meeting. “I strongly encourage those residents who believe that they may be priced out or facing financial difficulty to contact the city and speak with the Phoenix Public Works Department, who can navigate them to support options.”

Hernandez also called for proactive communication, multilingual outreach and partnerships with community organizations to ensure households on a tight budget are supported.

To try to reduce future rate increases, the Public Works staff will also review operational efficiencies and service models, which Vice Mayor Kesha Hodge Washington highlighted while explaining her yes vote.

“Community feedback made it very clear that residents want both accountability and affordability,” Washington said. “And those … steps that you’ve outlined I think will help strike that balance.”

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