Controller proposes lower refuse-rate increases than Recology; commission votes to support Environment Department request

The San Francisco Controller's Office presented its proposed refuse-rate order on April 28, recommending lower rate increases than those requested by private hauler Recology and proposing a partial package of new funding for Environment Department programs while deferring some requests pending further legal review.

Jay Liao, refuse rates administrator in the Controller's Office, summarized a multi-year comparison of rate proposals. He said Recology had originally asked for an 18.18% increase in rate year 2026; the controller's proposal adjusted that down to 12.59%, a roughly 5.6 percentage-point reduction that Liao said would save about $2.63 per month for a single-family customer. In 2027 and 2028 the controller's numbers differed from Recology's application; the controller said its package still represented approximately $50 million in rate…