Charlottesville advises trash decal users to renew for FY2027

Residents of the City of Charlottesville have the option to purchase solid waste hauling through a contractor hired by the local government. They can do so either by purchasing stickers for one-time use or by purchasing a decal for individual containers.

This week the branch of the city government that handles the payment sent out a reminder.

“The Treasurer’s Office would like to remind City residents that the new Annual Trash Decal year begins July 1 and current decals will expire this week,” reads a release sent out on Monday.

According to the city’s website, decals are available for containers ranging from 32 gallons to 96 gallons. The price for decals purchased later in the year are pro-rated. For more information, visit the appropriate site on the city’s website.

On May 18, the city awarded a contract to GFL of Virginia to provide the service. The company was the solder bidder and the procurement portal does not list a price. The public works budget for FY2027 shows an expenditure of $850,600, up 0.54 percent from the FY2026 amount of $846,000. That’s up from $581,409 in FY2023.

The budget also lists the revenues that come in from decals and stickers. FY2026 anticipated $380,000 from stickers and $725,000 from decals. The decal amount is projected to be the same in FY27 but sticker revenue is projected to be $395,000. (take a look here)

In September 2024, the city sought proposals from firms to review the solid waste program and the firm NewGenStrategies and Solutions was hired that December.

The company recommended switching to a system where users would pay a monthly fee based on the size of their container instead of the sticker/decal system. Council expressed skepticism at a March 2025 work session.

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