Charlottesville seeks review of solid waste services in advance of FY26 budget

Like many other municipalities across Virginia, the City of Charlottesville offers trash disposal to its residents and businesses for a fee. Earlier this month, Charlottesville City Manager Sam Sanders said the current offerings would be reviewed to cue up a potential increase in that fee. 

“We put that as a list of analysis work to do, and before we get through the end of this year, you will hear those results and be able to have that information to take into consideration,” Sanders said at a budget work session on September 16. 

On the same day as the work session, the city issued a request for proposals (RFP) for a firm to conduct the study. The background describes the current situation. 

“Trash collection from the City of Charlottesville is provided as a fee-based service,” reads the RFP. “Customers purchase individual trash decals in advance and affix them to their trash container.”

The service currently provided by GFL Environmental comes with curbside recycling, except for those households who opt to pay for a private trash hauler. According to the request, fees do not sustain the cost of the whole refuse collection program. 

City residents can also pay the city for large item pick-ups with the first collection each year costing $35 and increasing to $50 for a second stop. Any more after that cost $100 and the service is provided by city employees.

The request seeks a study that will recommend a new baseline rate structure and the RFP states at least three alternatives should be presented. The final report must also take landfill diversion into account. 

“Assess the interaction between landfill diversion and recycling elements of the recommended rate structure and their impacts on the ability to fund operations, as well as their impact on the economic and environmental well-being of the community,” reads a portion of the RFP. 

This is the first such study in some years, according to the RFP. Applications are due on October 15. Learn more in the procurement portal. 

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