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Waste Management cites 5.2% CPI pass-through; Aztec officials discuss modest residential charge and service concerns
Summary
Waste Management's local representative, Jared Fulop, briefed the Aztec commission on a 5.2% CPI-based increase driven partly by a landfill disposal cost rise; staff estimated about $0.06 on basic residential trash and about $1.33 on recycling, and commissioners raised budget and illegal-dumping concerns.
Jared Fulop, the new local representative for Waste Management (S8), told the Aztec City Commission that a 2025 Consumer Price Index calculation produced a 5.2% increase that the company's contract allows to be passed through to customers.
Fulop said disposal costs at the San Juan County landfill rose from $45.34 to $47.51 and that the contract permits Waste Management to pass that increase through to the city. "2025, the CPI calculation resulted in a 5.2% increase," Fulop said while presenting the company's documentation.
City utilities staff and commissioners translated the pass-through into estimated customer impacts. One commissioner (S4) summarized the calculations: "If I'm reading this right, bottom line is we're going up 6¢ for residential trash and a dollar 33 for recycling." Utilities staff (S7) explained their allocation method: they proposed charging a $1.00 per-resident administrative fee (rather than the full calculated amount) to cover utilities office expenses tied to billing and oversight.
Commissioners and staff discussed service details such as bulky-item pickups (Fulop confirmed these are scheduled door-to-door by appointment), missed pickups and photographic evidence used by Waste Management when collections are skipped, and the company's willingness to conduct outreach. Fulop offered to provide community education about free allocations and service options and left business cards for follow-up.
Staff flagged the convenience center's fiscal impact: utilities staff (S7) said dumping fees have totaled about $6,530 this fiscal year and will need to be accounted for in next year's budget. Commissioners expressed concern about increased illegal dumping and discussed locked commercial dumpsters and other operational strategies to reduce unbilled loads.
Next steps: staff will finalize the rate-change language on the agenda, post the adjustment for notice, and coordinate with Waste Management on outreach and billing reconciliations before the March 1 effective date mentioned by staff for posting and implementation.
