The push to privatize came after years of declining service. Recycling pickup dropped from weekly to every other week, and yard waste collection shifted from on-demand to appointment-only.
In February, The State Journal published a poll asking whether residents would be willing to pay up to $33 a month to sustain waste management services. The figures came from a technical cost analysis prepared by city staff shared in a Q-and-A session with Public Works Director Sara Anderson.
Commissioner Rob Richardson pushed back at the framing.
"I've encouraged the public to quit reading the newspaper," said Richardson at the March 23 meeting. "At no time did any one of us up here talk about [charging residents]."
At the same meeting, commissioners voted four-to-one to direct staff to move forward with a private contract, with the city absorbing all costs. Richardson said the city's budget constraints made the decision straightforward.
"Garbage isn't the only issue we're dealing with in a budget," Richardson said.
Commissioner Leesa Unger cast the lone dissenting vote. She said she was concerned about the permanence of the decision.
"Once it goes, it's not coming back," Unger said. "I feel like there are bigger and broader conversations about how to improve internal services."
In an email to residents following the vote, Mayor Layne Wilkerson said he would support keeping services in-house if staff could present a comprehensive plan to restore service levels and modernize equipment, but acknowledged the status quo wasn't working.
"I have always believed there is real value in providing this service in-house, and I still do," Wilkerson wrote. "There is a level of trust and familiarity that comes with seeing city crews in your neighborhood each week."
He also emphasized that residents would not face new fees under either scenario.
"Should we partner with a private provider, we will do so without implementing additional costs to our residents," Wilkerson wrote. "This service will continue to be funded through existing city tax revenue, just as it is today."
The commission directed staff to review proposals and return with a contract for consideration.