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Council approves 2025–26 solid-waste rate increase; average residential bill rises about 56 cents per month
Summary
After a Prop 218 process and third‑party review, council approved a 2.3% rate adjustment for single‑family curb service and related commercial adjustments; staff said the change reflects an adjustment factor and is a pass-through cost under the CR&R contract.
The El Centro City Council approved a rate increase for collection, transportation, recycling and disposal of solid waste for fiscal year 2025–26 following the city’s annual Prop 218 review process and a third‑party consultant evaluation.
City staff said the contract is a passthrough cost and that the annual adjustment is computed from a formula considering CPIs for labor, fuel, equipment and insurance, plus tonnage. After CR&R submitted supporting data, a third‑party consultant reviewed the calculations and confirmed the requested adjustments. Staff said the adjustment factor for single-family residential service is 2.3%; that corresponds to an increase from $24.47 to $25.03 for the standard three-bin curbline service, plus an added 6¢ for used-oil filter collection, meaning customers will see approximately $25.09 on their bills. “This is a pass through cost…based on the formula, this comes to an adjustment factor…2.3% for single family residential, that's about 56¢ per month,” staff said.
Staff explained that the contract includes a 4% cap on annual adjustments even when inflation spikes; the computed 2.3% falls under that cap. Commercial charges and roll-off disposal tonnage had different CPI components and adjustment results—staff said the roll-off disposal tonnage adjustment was 3.2% while roll-off service adjustments were higher. The public hearing drew no speakers, and council members asked for a short summary before adopting a resolution bundle (resolutions numbered 25 through 42) implementing the new rates. The motion passed 5-0.
Staff said the rate change will be included on customers’ monthly utility bills as a component of combined bills for water, sewer and trash.
