Georgetown Council approves first reading to raise residential and commercial solid-waste rates

The Georgetown City Council approved a first reading of an ordinance to raise solid-waste service rates for fiscal year 2026, following a staff presentation that said the adjustments are needed to sustain the city’s solid-waste system.

City staff told council the city will need to raise residential rates by 4.5% and commercial retail rates by 9.5% in 2026 to generate sufficient revenue to sustain the solid-waste system. Staff said those increases are the same percentage changes implemented in fiscal 2025.

The presentation noted that, on a local comparative chart, Georgetown’s rates place the city “number 3” among nearby jurisdictions; the presenter also observed Georgetown remains much closer to Leander on the low end of the comparison than to the next-closest city, San Marcos.

Under the proposed changes, staff said residential tier-1 rates would increase by about $1 and commercial carts would increase by $3.65. Eric, a city staff member who presented the item, read the ordinance caption aloud as a first reading: an ordinance amending section 13.04.181 titled “Rates and charges; solid-waste disposal schedule” of the Code of Ordinances of the City of Georgetown, Texas, repealing conflicting ordinances and resolutions, including a severability clause and establishing an effective date.

A council member moved to approve the item as read; another council member seconded. The council announced the motion as passing by voice vote and the meeting then adjourned. The transcript provides no roll-call vote counts and no public comments were recorded on this item during the meeting.

The ordinance was presented as a first reading; the transcript does not specify the ordinance’s effective date or the date of a second reading.