CLARENCE, N.Y. (WKBW) — Why is trash pickup so expensive in Clarence? It’s a question more residents are starting to ask, and for some, it’s becoming a growing concern.
I spoke with lifelong Clarence resident Katie Webster, who says the current system, where residents must individually contract with private garbage companies, is both costly and inconvenient.
“In Clarence, the way garbage works is you have to set it up yourself,” Webster said. “Most people are paying between $500 and $1,000 a year for their garbage pickup. My family pays almost $900 a year for it.”
Webster says those numbers are significantly higher than what residents pay in other Erie County towns with municipal garbage districts, where services are often coordinated town-wide at lower costs.
WATCH: Clarence residents question high garbage costs, push for town-wide solution
She believes it’s time for Clarence to seriously reconsider that model, not only to ease financial strain, but also to reduce traffic and noise from multiple garbage trucks servicing neighborhoods throughout the week.
“I think that the garbage district needs to be seriously looked at,” Webster said. “Either hire someone in good faith that's going to actually do a study and or have meetings with the town residents, and let's see what people have to say about it.”
Webster also raised concerns about transparency, saying she wants to see more open communication and opportunities for public input before decisions are made.
Town Supervisor Patrick Casilio tells 7 News the town is not ignoring the issue. Instead, officials are in the process of gathering updated data to determine whether a municipal garbage district would be cost-effective.
“If we go out town-wide, if we make that decision to go forward, hopefully we're going to have a competitive bid that makes it to a cost advantage to our residents,” Casilio said.
He says the town has hired an accounting firm to conduct a financial analysis and will share the findings with the public once the report is complete.
“We've hired Drescher & Malecki to put a report forward… and I’ll take them to the public,” he added.
Casilio says once the data is available, it will be shared publicly.
