Kokomo council advances $10 monthly trash fee in 7–1 first-reading vote after heated public hearing

KOKOMO, Ind. — The Kokomo Common Council advanced an ordinance to impose a monthly trash-collection fee on residential customers, voting 7–1 to adopt Ordinance 72-08 on first reading after a public hearing in which numerous residents opposed the measure.

The ordinance, as drafted, would add a $10 per month charge per eligible residential dwelling unit to the city wastewater bill beginning with wastewater bills issued on or after Jan. 1, 2026; a cash-collection price of $15 per month is included for other payment methods. The ordinance also creates two $5-per-month discount paths: one for owner-occupants with certain property-tax deductions (blind/disabled, over-65, disabled veteran/surviving spouse) and one for low-income households at or below 150% of federal poverty guidelines, subject to annual application and Board of Public Works and Safety approval.

Why it matters: City officials said the fee is intended to close a growing gap between the cost of providing trash and recycling services and the revenues available to the city, especially after changes enacted by the Indiana General Assembly in Senate Bill 1. Weston Reed, the city’s Director of Development, told the council that single-family properties in the county collectively…