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Council consents to Priority Waste change of control as TPG invests; members press for service assurances
Summary
Sterling Heights council approved Priority Waste’s request to consent to a change of control—private equity firm TPG will become the lead investor—after staff and the company said services will continue and new capital will resolve debt; council members pressed for assurances on carts, truck maintenance and continued local operations.
The Sterling Heights City Council voted to consent to a change of control at Priority Waste, the city’s refuse contractor, after city staff and company representatives described the transaction as a financial recapitalization that will not change local service terms.
Public Works presented performance metrics and said quarterly collection operations were largely meeting contractual standards; Priority Waste Vice President Sam Caramagno said TPG (Texas Pacific Group), a large private equity firm, will acquire a majority interest to retire debt, invest in equipment and support ongoing operations. Caramagno said the Priority Waste name and local operating staff will remain and that the company expects to maintain or improve service.
Councilmembers questioned the stability of the company, citing earlier service bumps (yard‑waste pickup delays and a prior change in local management). Several members pressed for assurances about trucks, delivery of carts and customer service; Caramagno said the company has purchased carts and added trucks to clear any backlog and intends to honor the existing 10‑year contract.
Councilmember Radke and others said they supported approval but made clear they expect Priority Waste to remedy outstanding service issues quickly; several members noted they would revisit contractual arrangements if service problems persist. After discussion, the council approved consent to the TPG change of control and confirmed Priority Waste will remain the contracting party under the same terms.
What’s next: the company will proceed with the ownership change; city staff will continue monitoring contract performance and delivery of outstanding cart orders and report back to council as needed.
