Socorro officials weigh city-run solid waste program after police chief outlines phased plan

Chief Robert Rojas, chief of police for the City of Socorro, presented a phased proposal at a special Socorro City Council meeting for the city to operate its own residential solid waste program instead of relying on the Lower Valley Water District.

The plan would begin with curbside service for about 16,000 homes using existing 96-gallon polycarts and could expand over five years to include dumpster accounts and roll-off services. “By taking over solid waste, the City of Socorro can retain revenue locally, offer improved responsiveness and accountability, and build a sustainable municipal operation,” Rojas said.

The proposal included preliminary financial estimates. Using an assumed base rate of $18.35 per month and 16,000 households, Rojas estimated annual revenue of about $3,500,000 for a once‑a‑week service and about $6,500,000 for twice‑weekly service. He described startup payroll for year one as roughly $500,000–$600,000 (six drivers at about $60,000 each, a route supervisor at about $70,000 and an administrative billing clerk at about $55,000) and vehicle costs of $250,000–$350,000 per side-loader truck. Rojas said 16,000 new 96-gallon carts would cost about $800,000, fleet‑management and routing software $50,000–$100,000, and facilities/fuel/maintenance/insurance roughly $100,000–$250,000 annually.

Rojas also described landfill tipping fees as an important variable. He said Lower Valley Water District’s tipping fees to the City of El Paso appear to total about $1,200,000 in the district’s annual report and that Socorro’s share could be roughly $800,000–$1,200,000; he noted that an exact figure would require direct discussions with the City of El Paso. “Those are far down the road types conversations,” he said.

Council members asked operational questions and raised service priorities. Councilman Alejandro Garcia stressed customer service and twice‑weekly pickup, saying it would reduce resident anxiety about missed pickups. Councilman Cesar Nevarez asked whether the Lower Valley Water District might raise other rates in response to a Socorro separation; Rojas said that outcome “could happen,” but that any rate change would have to be justified by the utility. A resident who identified themself as a former Lower Valley Water District solid waste manager spoke in support of the proposal.

No formal motion to create the program or to direct staff to implement it was made at the meeting. Rojas framed the presentation as a high‑level framework and asked council for direction. He said that, if supported, staff would pursue detailed planning, interlocal discussions (including landfill access and tipping‑fee negotiations), financial modeling, vehicle and staffing estimates, and vendor outreach. City Manager Adriana Rodarte affirmed that staff would return with a more detailed analysis if council provided direction.

Next steps described in the meeting were a decision by the council whether to authorize staff to develop a detailed plan and financial model and to begin interlocal conversations with Lower Valley Water District and the City of El Paso. No timeline or formal vote was recorded at the meeting.