Unincorporated Riverside County Areas Could See Trash Bill Hike

RIVERSIDE COUNTY, CA — Riverside County supervisors Tuesday set an April 27 public hearing to consider proposed hikes to trash collection fees in unincorporated communities.

According to Department of Environmental Health Director Keith Jones, the four waste haulers under contract with the county — Burrtec Waste, CR&R Inc., Desert Valley Disposal and Waste Management Inc. — are seeking universal 2.2 percent fee increases to keep pace with inflation and cover higher landfill expenses.

The adjustments reflect changes to the consumer price index in the last year, Jones said.

The proposed Burrtec hike would add about $1.46 to customers' bills, while residents serviced by CR&R would be facing a roughly $1 increase per month, with Desert Valley Disposal seeking to charge about 50 cents more, and Waste Management asking for about the same in residential collections.

The board reviews refuse retrieval rates almost every year.

Last year, Supervisor Kevin Jeffries opposed the increases, arguing that financial hardships tied to the coronavirus-caused public health shutdowns made it an inopportune time to hike fees on county residents, however small the hikes might be. The increases were approved 4-1.

Waste collection for the county occurs in defined "franchise areas," which currently number 11 and encompass communities such as Cabazon, Desert Center, East Hemet, Lakeland Village, Thermal and Thousand Palms. Most of the existing franchise agreements have been in place for just over 20 years.

Inflationary adjustments to fees are based on fluctuations in the CPI for the Los Angeles metropolitan area between Jan. 1 and Dec. 31, 2020. The majority of residents pay between $24 and $38 per month for service, for which they're billed quarterly, according to county officials.

The cost for commercial accounts ranges from $74 to $1,900 per month, and businesses would also pay an additional 2.2 percent in fees, if the hikes are approved.