According to CBC News, Ottawa homeowners may see a new fee for green bin collection on their property tax bills next year.
The city’s planning and environment committee is proposing that property owners pay a $57 service fee to cover the cost of setting up and running the new composting program in its 2010 budget estimates.
The city decided to bring in the green bin composting program to cut down on the amount of waste going to landfill. Residents began receiving green bins this fall and collection is scheduled to begin in January.
Councilor Peter Hume, chair of the city’s planning and environment committee, said the service fee is a fair way to ensure that residents who use the green bin service pay for it.
“We could have thrown [the cost] on the general tax base and had it disappear with all the other taxes … But we didn’t think it was fair and equitable for everyone because there are 7,000 rural residents who are not going to receive the service.”
On the other hand, because of the use of green bin by Ottawa residents, there will be less waste for land fills, therefore, city will be saving money on that front. By charging green bin fee, the city of Ottawa is actually trying to penalize those residents who want less garbage to go to land fills for a greener environment.
I am sure that Ottawa city financial planners can are smart enough to make a better and viable plan which will encourage people to compost their household waste not discourage them by charging them extra fee.
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