San Antonio keeps solid-waste fees steady while rolling out smart-collection system and apprenticeship training

Josephine Valencia, director of Solid Waste Management, presented the departmentFY26 operating plan at the Sept. 9 City of San Antonio budget work session, saying the department expects no rate increases or service-level reductions while rolling out a digital route-navigation and service-verification system intended to reduce missed collections.

The budget affects roughly 382,000 solid-waste account holders who receive curbside service and supports an enterprise fund (operating and maintenance) and a separate internal fleet fund. Valencia said combined the two funds total just over $193 million.

Valencia described the Smart Collection System (SCS), a tablet-based navigation and service-verification tool that has been installed on about half of the city's collection vehicles so far. She said each address is represented by a dot on the drivertablet and the dot changes color when collection is completed; the system also logs exceptions and integrates with the truck camera system so supervisors can review potential misses.

"We come to your home almost 60,000,000 times a year. And 99.9 of the time, we get your cart on time on the day that we're supposed to," Valencia said, noting that the small percentage of missed stops translates into tens of thousands of missed collections annually. She said the SCS is intended to reduce costly end-of-day go-backs and improve billing reconciliation.

Other highlights and operational details included:

- Funding and structure: Valencia said 64% of the operating budget funds curbside cart collections and brush-and-bulky service. The enterprise fund is supported by user fees; the department does not receive general tax revenue for those services.

- Carts and customers: The department offers three cart sizes/pricing tiers for garbage, recycling and organics. Valencia said the department currently projects about 382,000 solid-waste rate payers next fiscal year.

- Transfer station and capital: The city owns a transfer station operated by a contractor; that contract ends this month. The budget sets aside $2.5 million for repairs so the city can close the facility for upgrades and then reopen it. Valencia said an RFP will be issued around January to determine longer-term operations.

- Illegal dumping and outreach: The department runs two complementary public campaigns about illegal dumping and operates four drop-off centers (two take household hazardous waste). Valencia said proactive work and outreach have increased usage of drop-off centers but that illegal dumping remains a persistent issue.

- Workforce and training: Valencia highlighted a federally registered driver apprenticeship program that trains temporary employees to obtain Commercial Driver's Licenses (CDLs) and funnels many into permanent positions; she said 147 people have received CDLs through the program and more than 100 have been employed by the department. The department also operates an in-house driving school and used its mechanics in a job-progression program; she reported a 91% fleet-availability rate.

During council discussion, members raised privacy and consent questions about truck camera recordings and asked for documentation on what the cameras capture and how long footage is retained. Valencia said the cameras were installed for safety and to help drivers judge mechanical arms; the SCS will make it easier to locate footage, she said.

Valencia also gave a citywide tally for cleanup costs: about $7.8 million for illegal dumping and encampment cleanups in the current year, of which about $2.2 million is associated with homeless encampment cleanups. She said the department can provide additional cost breakdowns and hotspot maps on request.

The presentation concluded with Valenciaconfirming no change to rates or service levels for FY26 and with staff available for follow-up questions.