Controller's office proposes smaller refuse rate increase than Recology, pauses $35M trash‑processing contingency

The Sanitation and Streets Commission on April 24 heard a public hearing from the controller's refuse rates administrator on a proposed three‑year refuse rate order for rate years 2026–2028. Jay Liao of the controller's office said the proposal reduces Recology's requested 18.18% increase to a 12.59% package the controller's office is recommending, which the presentation characterized as roughly a 5% cumulative savings compared with Recology's application and a monthly savings of about $2–$2.63 for a single‑family default service customer in the first year.

Liao told commissioners the controller's office is implementing the mandate of 2021's Proposition F, which moved refuse‑rate administration to the controller and established four guiding principles for rate setting: cost‑effective service meeting standards and environmental goals, rate stability and fairness, transparent and publicly accessible processes, and high professional…