Niskayuna may consider garbage hauler license fee hike in 2019

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Garbage haulers may be looking at higher fees to pick up trash in Niskayuna — but not for a while.

The Town Board on Tuesday tabled a resolution offered by Supervisor Yasmine Syed that — if passed — would raised license fees paid annually by waste haulers.

Garbage companies currently pay $175 per year for their first truck and $75 for each additional vehicle licensed in the town. The resolution called for an increase to $350 for the first truck and $150 for each additional truck.

The resolution was discussed during the board’s finance committee meeting, which preceded the special meeting on Tuesday. The matter later was taken off the agenda and not considered during the special meeting.

Board Member Denise Murphy McGraw said there had been no conversations with haulers who would have been affected by the increase.

“My fear was if they got letters saying their fees to service our town were doubling, they would turn around and send a letter to all our residents saying, ‘We’re going to double your rate,'” McGraw said. “I would prefer to try to slow down on this to try to meet with folks and let them know, at least, we’re contemplating a new fee structure.”

Syed said the garbage licensing fees have not increased since 2007.

“They’ve essentially stayed stagnant since then,” she said. “This is something we could look at, not really a moneymaker. It would be the difference of a couple thousand dollars.”

Syed said the town of Glenville uses the $350-$150 fee structure, figures confirmed by Glenville Town Clerk Linda C. Neals.

“We’re trying to figure out right now what the implications are going to be for consumers in the town,” Syed said. “It doesn’t seem to me like there’s really the wherewithal to take this on for this year, and that’s fine. It’s something we can look at for next year; we didn’t factor it into the budget.”

McGraw said license rates will remain at $175 and $75 for now.

“We’re going to maintain that for 2019,” she said. “We may discuss it again. I’m willing to discuss it during next year’s budget negotiations.”

Contact Daily Gazette reporter Jeff Wilkin at 518-395-3124 or at [email protected]