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Logansport discusses trash-fee options and approves consolidated trash ordinance
Summary
After a finance committee review of five-year trash contract projections and several funding scenarios, the Logansport Common Council approved Ordinance 2025-43 consolidating trash, yard waste and recycling rules on second reading. Council and staff will hold a finance meeting before the next council meeting to decide fee- and funding-options for 2026.
The Logansport Common Council and its finance committee spent significant time weighing how to fund a new five-year trash contract and on Dec. 15 approved a consolidated trash ordinance.
At a finance committee meeting ahead of the council session, Unidentified Speaker 1 presented contract projections showing roughly 3.5% annual increases and outlined four funding approaches: (1) pay three months from the host fund and nine months from the trash fee with a one-month waiver in 2026; (2) similar to current practice but requiring a general-fund transfer (estimated $328,000–$578,903 over five years depending on assumptions); (3) a $0.50-per-month increase each year (raising the $15 monthly fee to $15.50 in 2026 and $17.50 by 2030); or (4) delay increases in 2026 and raise $1 per year thereafter to reach about $19 by 2030. Unidentified Speaker 2 warned that the host fund is not guaranteed revenue and that some anticipated receipts depend on outside parties’ choices.
Unidentified Speaker 1 recommended scheduling a finance meeting before the next council meeting to let members review options and noted any permanent fee increase would require public notice and likely a public hearing. The finance meeting was set to allow council members to examine estimates and whether a one-time waiver in 2026 should be offered because of recent service problems.
Separately during the council session, Councilman Cameron Austin presented Ordinance 2025-43, consolidating prior ordinances on garbage, trash, yard waste and recycling and establishing enforcement procedures, fines and penalties. The council approved the ordinance on its second reading in a recorded vote. The ordinance updates enforcement procedures to clarify collection, disposal and penalties for noncompliance.
The finance committee did not take a formal vote on a funding path during the Dec. 15 meeting; members asked staff to return estimates and a formal proposal. Unidentified Speaker 1 said staff will prepare resolutions for the Jan. 5 meeting to authorize spending caps for capital projects and will bring refined trash-fee scenarios to the finance meeting.
Council and finance leaders said the next steps are a dedicated finance meeting to compare the scenarios, confirm the legality and notice requirements for fee increases, and—if they choose a fee increase—hold any required public hearing before implementation.
