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Curbside contracts drive solid-waste shortfall; DPW proposes $22 increase to household fee
Summary
DPW told the County Council that rebid curbside collection contracts came in 30%–105% higher than the prior agreements, driving a projected $7.6 million increase in the solid-waste fund; the department proposed raising the annual household charge paid on property tax bills from $404 to $426 (Bill 44-25) and adding a safety coordinator position in
At the May 22 Anne Arundel County Council departmental budget presentation, Department of Public Works leaders said sharply higher bids for curbside garbage contracts are the main driver of a projected solid waste enterprise fund shortfall and presented a proposal to raise the per-household fee paid on property tax bills.
DPW Overview and revenue drivers Department of Public Works Director Karen Henry told council members the solid waste enterprise fund is forecast to increase by roughly $7.6 million in FY26, largely driven by a $6.8 million increase in curbside collection costs after rebidding collection contracts. “They came in at 30 to a hundred and 5 percent higher than the prices that were negotiated for the last contract,” Henry said, describing competitive bids that reflected higher labor and operating costs in the industry.
Proposed household fee and program changes - Household fee: DPW said it will request an increase to the “household” fee that appears on property tax bills (Bill 44-25) from $404 per household to $426 — a 5.4% rise the department described as consistent with prior projections. - Safety coordinator: DPW also proposed a new safety coordinator position within Waste Management Services to centralize safety policy, training, facility inspections and reporting; the department said the position is needed because work at recycling centers, landfill operations and collection sites poses safety risks and regulatory requirements have increased. - Other savings: Henry described a temporary $1.1 million decrease in out-of-county disposal costs expected as “subcell 9.3” is staged with soft trash and reduces shipments to an external transfer station. She also said single-stream recycling commodity values have improved recently, lowering handling costs for curbside recycling.
Curbside contract context DPW explained the large contract increases reflect a tight vendor market, higher insurance and equipment costs, labor and prevailing-wage effects, and the need for contractors to maintain expensive crews and equipment year-round. Henry said service-area rebids were competitively awarded to the lowest bidders in each region; DPW also noted Ecology Services (a prior vendor) had a strike in one service area, which disrupted service and reassignments in the short term.
Council questions and next steps Council members pressed for alternatives and noted the household fee increase passes costs to households and small businesses. DPW said no final council action had been taken during the presentation; the department framed Bill 44-25 and contract award results as part of its FY26 budget submission and will provide additional financial detail as the council considers the fee ordinance.
