Waukesha finance committee backs $160 annual garbage and recycling charge to protect core services

The City of Waukesha Finance Committee recommended unanimously on Sept. 30 that the common council adopt a resolution creating a $160 annual special charge for residential garbage and recycling collection and disposal.

The committee heard a financial projection showing operating expenses outpacing revenues by about 2027 and staff said moving garbage and recycling costs to a dedicated special revenue fund would protect other services. “The red, which is expenses, overtakes revenues, right about 2027,” Finance Director Joe Sherrill told the committee as he reviewed a five-year operating projection for the general fund.

City staff and the mayor briefed the committee that the proposed special charge would pay contract and disposal costs tied to the city’s Johns Disposal agreement and be billed as a line item on property tax statements. “It would be a flat fee … it would be on the property tax bill. A $160. And I point out there that it is per household unit,” City of Waukesha staff member Tony Brown said during the presentation.

Why it matters: Staff told the committee the city faces a structural funding gap because Wisconsin levy limits restrict annual increases tied largely to net new construction while many operating costs are rising faster. Moving garbage and recycling to a special revenue fund is intended to reduce the general fund burden and allow the city to maintain services without cutting personnel or public-safety programs.

Key details - Fee structure: Proposed $160 annual flat fee per residential household unit, collected via the property tax bill but held in a separate special revenue fund to cover collection and disposal. The fee is designed to be user-based (charged only to recipients of collection service) rather than borne across all general-fund taxpayers. - Contract and scope: The charge would fund the city’s contract with Johns Disposal (a six-year contract with extension terms noted in staff materials) and associated disposal costs; staff said the special fund is intended to be break-even and adjustable to actual costs. - Net impact on typical homeowner: Staff presented an illustrative calculation using an approximate $350,000 assessed single-family home. Because the levy would be reduced by the amount moved into the special charge (staff identified a $2,000,000 levy reduction when modeling), the projected net increase for that illustrative property was about $49 in 2026 after the $160 fee and the levy reduction were combined; staff emphasized the number is an estimate and subject to final assessed values and levy figures. - Notice and legal process: Staff noted the resolution includes a statutory notice requirement (described in the presentation as a class 1 notice) that must be provided to impacted households if the council adopts the fee. - Opt-out and exemptions: Committee members asked whether residents could opt out; staff said there would not be an opt-out option. Staff also said properties that already arrange private collection (condos on private roads, apartment buildings with private service) would still be charged but the levy reduction would reduce their tax bill so the net effect varies by property.

Public comment and concerns Several residents addressed the committee before the vote. Adele Vogel (1090 Baxter Street) said she feared fee impacts would be passed on to tenants and said multiple surcharges were already increasing housing costs. Frank Palm (625 Chicago Avenue) estimated the fee would raise roughly $4.8 million if applied to ~30,000 households and asked whether large-item pickup would incur an extra charge. Other speakers raised fairness questions for condo associations, properties on private roads, multifamily landlords, and for units that remain vacant during renovation.

Committee discussion and next steps Committee members debated fairness for condo and private-road residents and for multifamily property owners who currently pay private collection. Staff said the resolution would move to the full common council for final action and that staff plan public outreach, workshops and focus groups in 2026 to inform broader budget and service-priority choices.

Formal action The committee voted to recommend adoption of Resolution 2025-17 (create annual fee for residential garbage and recycling collection and disposal and set the fee at $160). The motion to recommend the resolution passed unanimously and will appear on the council agenda in October for final action.

What remains uncertain Staff emphasized that the $160 figure and the illustrative net impacts use current estimates (assessed values, levy components and the Johns Disposal contract). Final homeowner impacts will depend on final 2025 assessed values and the council’s levy decisions; staff also noted statutory notice requirements will be followed if the council adopts the charge.

Ending The committee chair said the vote reflected a difficult but necessary step to protect essential municipal services given current levy limits and long-term cost trends; the item will be considered by the full common council at its next meeting.