Shaler residents will pay more next year to have their garbage collected. At the July 11 meeting, the board of commissioners voted unanimously to award a new contract to Westmoreland Sanitary Landfill, LLC d/b/a County Hauling, the current provider and only bidder.
Residents will pay $30 per month in 2024, an increase of $6.57 over the current rate of $23.03 per month. In 2025, the rate increases to $31.83 per month and $33.77 per month in 2026. Registered senior citizens will receive a 15% discount off of the base rate.
“Our increase is less than some of our neighboring communities,” township manager Christopher Lovato said. “And we were able to maintain substantially similar service to what we had in place previously.”
Commissioner David Shutter said garbage collection companies have significantly increased the cost of doing business across the region.
“We’re talking about 30% increases. The other part of it became how the garbage would be picked up,” said Shutter. “(In) a lot of communities they don’t pick up furniture and large items. In other communities, they have the garbage in the can. Anything outside the can they don’t pick up. County Hauling did a good job for us. You’re always going to have complaints, but in our community they were light.
“They’re keeping true to their word about the same things being picked up as before — the furniture sitting outside, the bags outside the garbage can. They take them and they’re very good about it.”
Shutter said collection days will remain the same.
“So, if you were getting picked up on Monday, you will still get picked up on Monday. And they are also taking glass for recycling again, so that helps people out. What we’re trying to explain to the people in Shaler is they got a good deal compared to other communities.”
Shutter added that if this agreement works out well, there’s a chance for a two-year extension after that.
