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Snellville adopts $16.9 million budget and a $20 monthly residential solid-waste fee
Summary
The Snellville mayor and council on June 9 approved the fiscal year 2025–26 budget, a change to the city’s solid-waste ordinance and a $20-per-month residential collection fee; the council also approved a 3% contract increase requested by Waste Management.
The Snellville mayor and council adopted a $16.9 million fiscal year 2025–26 budget and approved a new $20-per-month residential solid-waste fee at their June 9 meeting in Snellville City Hall. The council voted unanimously on all motions (6–0).
City leaders said the package is intended to keep the city’s sanitation enterprise fund solvent and preserve municipal services without increasing the millage rate. Mayor Barbara Bender and staff told the council the budget will draw down about $692,000 in fund balance and that the city currently expects to retain a 4-mill property tax rate for now.
During debate, council members and staff described rising sanitation costs and the upcoming end of the city’s existing garbage contract as the main drivers of the change. The mayor said the city expects residential collection rates to rise sharply once the contract is rebid next year and that adopting a dedicated user fee is a more equitable way to fund the service than a general tax increase.
Council action included three interrelated items: final adoption of the FY 2025–26 budget (ordinance 2025-11), approval of an amendment to the city’s solid-waste ordinance to allow user fees (ordinance 2025-12), and approval of a resolution establishing the residential collection fee (resolution 2025-08). The resolution sets the standard residential weekly collection fee at $20 per month (about $240 per year) for single-family service as presented in the council packet.
Council members also approved Waste Management’s contract request for a 3% Consumer Price Index (CPI) increase, an annual adjustment allowed under the current sanitation contract.
Votes at a glance - Ordinance 2025-11 (adoption of FY2025–26 budget): approved on final reading, vote 6–0. Key published figures: $16,900,000 total budget; $692,000 planned drawdown of fund balance; no millage increase anticipated in the adoption. - Ordinance 2025-12 (amend solid-waste ordinance to allow fees): approved on second reading, vote 6–0. - Resolution 2025-08 (establish residential weekly collection fee): approved, vote 6–0; fee set at $20/month for standard residential service. - Waste Management CPI request (3% increase): approved, vote 6–0.
Councilmembers and staff emphasized that the solid-waste fee will be dedicated to the sanitation enterprise fund, meaning those revenues must be used for sanitation and cannot be redirected to general fund spending. Staff (Matt Pepper and Mercy Montgomery were thanked by name in council remarks) outlined that the city has historically subsidized residential sanitation from the general fund and that continuing to do so is no longer sustainable given market and contract pressures.
The council did not increase the property tax millage as part of the budget adoption. Staff noted the final millage rate will be set only after the county digest is available later in the summer.
Next steps include implementing the established fee and continuing to prepare for the upcoming contract rebid for residential sanitation services. Ordinance 2025-13 (a separate code amendment discussed at the meeting) was advanced to a July 14 second reading and public hearing; that item is unrelated to sanitation but will return for final action then.
