Mayor vetoes garbage billing change because of cost. But it might happen anyway

Macon-Bibb County Mayor Robert Reichert has vetoed for the second time an ordinance that would return garbage billing to a quarterly basis.

Reichert wrote in a letter Thursday that he has concerns about the negative financial impact switching back to quarterly payments for garbage and recycling services would have on the county. Six votes from commissioners would be needed to override the veto — the same number of votes that passed the quarterly ordinance on Aug. 7.

The mayor’s veto on a similar quarterly billing ordinance was upheld last August. This is the fourth time since consolidation in 2014 that Reichert has used his veto powers.

Macon-Bibb residents began making annual payments for their 2018 services. The next round of bills — $240 for 2019’s services — were set to be sent out in September at the same time as property tax notices.

The cost to change the software system back to quarterly billing would run about $130,000, and it would be another $30,000 every time the quarterly bills are mailed out, Reichert wrote.

An annual bill is $240 while quarterly payments, sent out four times a year, are $60.

“These are tight budget times, and it would be fiscally irresponsible to add this much in expenses while reducing revenue collections and causing stress to our cash flow,” Reichert said. “You made a difficult decision to reduce costs, increase collection rates, and provide people the ability to pay as they are able to over the course of a year.”

Some commissioners who are against the annual billing said they have a problem with the bills being sent out at the same time as property tax notices.

Also, some county leaders said it was an unfair financial burden on those who may not meet the exceptions (based on income level and disability) to annual billing but still have a tough time making the payments.

And it doesn’t sit well with one of the co-sponsors of the quarterly billing ordinance that the annual billing is taking place after property taxes were raised for the second consecutive year on Thursday.

Macon-Bibb residents need to have the financial relief that the quarterly billing system provides, said Commissioner Joe Allen, a co-sponsor of the quarterly ordinance.

“It is a bad time of the year for citizens to be asked to pay for their taxes and solid waste collection fees all at once, especially with Thanksgiving and Christmas and with many having just purchased school supplies,” Allen said in a statement. “I believe that people on fixed incomes are being unfairly burdened by annual billing.”

Commissioner Al Tillman said he will oppose the mayor’s veto as well.

“In a time where we need to be giving seniors and people that opposed the millage rate (relief), you’re going to come back and continue to implement and collect our garbage fees upfront?” Tillman said. ”That’s shocking to me.”

The primary reason for the move to annual payments and having it coincide with property tax bills was because of increased collection rates in other communities that did that.

Early estimates show that’s happening here as well, Reichert wrote. So far this year, the county has collected $9.48 million for garbage services, compared to $8.3 million in fiscal 2017 when quarterly billing was still in effect, based on figures from the Macon-Bibb County Tax Commissioner’s Office.

Reichert said the Tax Commissioner’s Office is willing to allow people to set up payments over a period of time that suits them best. Plus, garbage payments can be added to a homeowner’s escrow account.