Waukesha council adopts $160 annual garbage and recycling fee after weeks of debate

The Waukesha Common Council voted 9 to 5 to adopt Resolution 2025-23, creating an annual $160 per-household fee for residential garbage and recyclables collection and disposal and moving the service funding out of the general fund into a special revenue fund.

Councilors adopted the fee after a presentation from City Administrator Tony Brown and Finance Director Joe Sherrill that framed the measure as part of a multi-year financial management plan to address projected structural deficits. Brown said the proposal would reduce the property tax levy by about $2,000,000 and place garbage and recycling costs into a fee that will be adjusted to reflect contract increases from the city’s private hauler.

Supporters said the fee targets service users rather than all taxpayers and helps avoid cuts to core services. Opponents and many public commenters said the charge would burden renters and small landlords and that the timing of billing was unfair.

Why this matters: city staff showed projections that without changes the general fund would move into deficit beginning in 2027 and worsen through 2029; the fee narrows that gap in the projection. Staff presented a scenario in which the 2029 net shortfall would be about $5.1 million without the fee versus about $3.7 million with the fee in place.

What the resolution does: the fee is imposed on all properties receiving city-contracted garbage and recyclables collection. For 2026 the council set the annual charge at $160 per city-issued automated garbage cart (the city issues paired garbage and recycling carts) and $160 per address for properties receiving manual service. The fee covers both garbage and recyclables collection and disposal. Properties that do not receive city collection service are not subject to the fee.

Billing and administration: the council-approved resolution requires the city to invoice the fee and publish notice of the payment terms (a class 1 notice in the Waukesha Freeman). Unpaid fees that go past the published due date may be added to the property tax bill as a special charge; the city attorney explained that state law requires invoicing and a past-due date before a charge can be rolled onto taxes. The initial due date in the resolution was moved from Oct. 29 to Nov. 7 to allow the required 21-day notice period. The resolution states special charges are not payable in installments per state law; however, if a fee is rolled onto the tax bill it is payable under the tax bill’s payment terms.

Who pays: the fee will be billed to property owners; the city attorney noted apartment-building owners (landlords) will receive bills for units and will likely pass costs to tenants. Staff emphasized the fee’s intent is to have users of the service pay for it rather than the broader property tax base.

Public comment and council debate: more than a dozen residents addressed the council during the public comment period. Landlords and tenants urged the council to reject the fee or to delay implementation; some condo and rental tenants said they already pay private haulers and viewed the fee as double-charging. Other speakers, including a county supervisor and civic volunteers, urged fiscal restraint or recommended advocacy to change state levy-limit law. Council discussion covered alternatives such as further departmental cuts, hiring freezes, different covered services options allowed by state law, and whether large-item pickup should be included in the fee. Finance staff said the $160 figure could be adjusted to include additional services if the council chose.

Implementation risks and next steps: Tony Brown said the city will establish a special revenue fund for the service and adjust the fee annually; the city’s contract with the private hauler allows up to a 3% annual contract increase and staff said the fee will be updated to reflect such increases. The council also directed staff to continue public outreach and to pursue legislative advocacy in Madison to address the underlying levy-limit structure.

The vote: Alderman Pauline Piper moved the resolution; the motion was seconded by Alderman Person Moulton. The motion carried 9 to 5 on a voice/roll-call sequence recorded as the final tally in the meeting minutes.

The council’s action followed prior review at the finance committee; staff said the fee was part of the city’s 2025 financial management plan. The council adopted the fee and accompanying administrative details by resolution; the fee amount will be set annually by the council going forward.

Looking ahead: staff said the city will publish the fee and due date as required and begin invoicing. The council also asked for continued work to identify service priorities through community conversations and to pursue state legislative changes to levy limits and revenue sharing.