Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Sanitation Rates topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Sanitation-rate proposal stalls after resident complaints and procedural hesitation
Summary
Council did not move forward with a proposed ordinance to adopt a Waste Management CPI-driven rate increase; staff presented a 4.9% increase and recommended $21.25/month beginning Sept. 1 but no motion was made during the meeting.
Batesburg-Leesville — Council did not advance a proposed sanitation-rate ordinance after staff briefed members on a 4.9% CPI increase from Waste Management and described a staff recommendation to set the town's monthly cart rate at $21.25 starting Sept. 1, 2025.
Staff reported Waste Management notified the town by letter on May 31, 2025, and the company set an initial implementation date of July 1; the manager said a compromise pushed the billing change to Sept. 1 if the town passed an ordinance. The packet and staff remarks noted a town surcharge (about $19 per cart) to cover Saluda-Lexington transfer charges so all residents pay the same rate regardless of county.
During public comment, resident Larry McConna urged council to consider reported inconsistencies with pickup service before approving a price increase, noting missed trash collections and recycling picks without trash pickup. "I'd just like to ask this council to consider those inconsistencies when considering whether or not there should be a price increase for us as citizens," McConna said during the public comment period.
Council did not make a motion on the ordinance during the meeting. Staff said the rate billed by Waste Management and the town's surcharge would require budgeting and notice; the manager noted the company had offered a delayed implementation date to allow the town time to pass the ordinance, but the item died for lack of a motion.
What happens next: Because no motion was made, staff indicated billing and ordinance timing remain unresolved; council members requested follow-up discussions with staff and the manager to clarify service complaints, legal requirements for mandatory pickup (as raised by a public commenter), and how any cost would be allocated in the budget.
