By Stacey Tinsley, BIZ. Magazine
The Haughton Board of Aldermen passed an ordinance that will increase the monthly sanitation pickup rate from $15 to $18 for the town’s residents.
A public hearing was conducted on Tuesday, Jan. 11, prior to the regular monthly meeting of the Board of Aldermen. At the public hearing, the public was offered an opportunity to voice their opinions with regard to the proposed increase.
After closing the public hearing and convening the regular monthly meeting, Ordinance 16 of 2021 was passed 5-0 by the Board of Aldermen.
“This was not an overnight decision by the Board. For several months, the board has tried to find a way to not increase the sanitation pickup rate. In 2014, the town was charging $14 per month and paying $12.92 to the vendor per account. Each year, the vendor goes up by 3%, as allowed by contract. In 2017, the town raised the rate to $15 per month,” said Haughton Mayor Kim Gaspard.
“Today, the rate is still $15, but the cost to the town per account is $14.54 per month. Between the cost of living and the narrow margin between what is charged and what is owed the vendor, the town cannot operate in the black. Consequently, after several work sessions in trying to find ways to alleviate the problem, I decided to introduce an ordinance in December to remedy the problem,” he added.
“The proposed ordinance was posted on the town’s website, advertised in the Bossier Press-Tribune and put on the town’s social media site. It was also brought out that the proposed $18 per month figure was still a very good bargain for the town due to the fact that trash pickup in areas outside of Haughton are $30-33 per month,” Gaspard said.
