Whitefish council approves 18% residential garbage rate increase; debate continues on mandatory service

The Whitefish City Council approved Resolution 25-8 on May 5 to revise solid waste disposal fees, passing along past contract increases from Republic Services to customers and authorizing automatic annual increases tied to the hauler’s contract.

Staff said the city had not raised residential garbage rates since June 2022 and had absorbed three annual contract increases from Republic Services, which contracts for collection in the city and includes a 3.25% annual escalation clause. Dana, the city staff presenter, told council the solid waste fund has about $1.7 million in annual expenses, of which roughly $195,000 are city-administered costs such as billing and downtown collection. There are about 4,100 residential and 469 commercial accounts on the city roll.

The new rates: The proposed standard residential cart rate would rise from $17.25 to $20.34 per month, an 18% increase (about $3.09). Dana said $17.34 of the new $20.34 charge represents the fee Republic Services bills to the city; the city’s administrative billing component would increase from $1.50 to $3.00. Commercial accounts would see the administrative fee changed from $5 per business to $7 per utility account, capped at $14 for accounts with multiple businesses.

Council debate centered on options other than rate increases. Several councilors and speakers said the city should consider eliminating mandatory municipal garbage service, a policy the city has required for many decades. Staff said state Public Service Commission rules and the existing 10-year Republic Services contract — which provided funding for bear-resistant containers spread over time — complicate any immediate exit from the contract. Staff said if the city removed the mandatory requirement, the contract still includes provisions that assume mandatory service and the city could remain financially liable unless the contract is renegotiated or the Public Service Commission allowed competition or other changes.

Other alternatives discussed included: creating a manned "green box" drop site (as exists in Columbia Falls), encouraging a second commercial hauler (an applicant, Jonathan Proto, has signaled interest and will seek council support letters), and pacing future increases annually rather than passing multiple missed increases at once. Dana said the resolution also proposes automatic 3.25% increases in May 2026 and May 2027 to match likely contract escalators.

Vote and next steps: Councilor Frank moved and Councilor Norton seconded the motion to approve Resolution 25-8, which the council approved on a 5–1 vote. Councilor Giuseppe Caltabiano (referred to in the record as Caltabiano) voted in opposition. Staff will implement the new rates effective May 15, 2025, and continue public outreach, including an online survey about mandatory service; a potential new hauler will present a request for a letter of support at a subsequent meeting.

Why it matters: The increase shifts previously absorbed contract costs onto ratepayers and rekindles a broader policy debate over whether municipal mandatory garbage service is still necessary. The change affects about 4,100 residential accounts and several hundred commercial customers in Whitefish.