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Gilbert staff outline solid waste and recycling cost pressures, propose modest residential increase and larger commercial adjustments
Summary
Staff told council that vehicle replacement costs, rising landfill tipping fees and volatile recycling markets are driving rate pressures; staff proposed a 2% residential revenue increase (beginning April 2026) and about 20% additional commercial revenue, with a third‑party water audit to begin in 2026.
Isaiah Garcia Romero, Gilbert’s solid waste and recycling manager, told the Town Council on Dec. 16 that three primary pressures are driving up solid waste costs: sharply higher vehicle replacement prices, rising repair and maintenance for an aging fleet, and significantly higher landfill tipping and post‑collection fees.
Garcia Romero said industry lead times and component costs pushed side‑loader replacement costs from roughly $285,000 pre‑2020 to more than $525,000 today, increasing vehicle replacement costs by about 87% since 2020. He said the town has a backlog of vehicles past their replacement cycle (industry standard seven years), contributing materially to higher repair bills.
Staff als…
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