Westland residents and council demand answers after repeated Priority Waste missed pickups; city withheld $100,000

Residents and council members pressed the administration over ongoing problems with Priority Waste, the city’s contracted trash hauler, describing repeated missed pickups, damaged or misplaced carts and inconsistent schedules.

Connie Thomas, a Westland resident, told the council the service has remained unreliable since the contract began and asked whether the city had a plan B. The administration replied that it withheld $100,000 from Priority Waste to press the company to improve and said Priority committed to hiring additional drivers and bringing more trucks into service.

Councilwoman Zampi cited a constituent survey she ran from June 16 to July 8 that received 146 responses (144 from Westland residents). She said 119 respondents (82%) reported being dissatisfied or very dissatisfied with Priority’s performance and that the city is seeing repeated issues across neighborhoods. Zampi said she will request a formal study session and share the survey results with Priority and the council to examine service levels and remediation plans.

Council members discussed trade-offs: replacing the hauler could increase costs for residents, but many said the current service level is unacceptable. The mayor/administration provided context that Priority became the primary hauler after Midwest Sanitation sold its municipal contracts; Priority bid lowest at award and later absorbed other local contracts, which contributed to rapid growth and operational strain.

What’s next: Councilmember Zampi will request a study session to bring Priority Waste in to explain remedial plans; the administration said it will follow up on enforcement and the withheld funds meant to improve performance.