The Wayland City Council intends to place a recycling issue on the August primary election ballot.
Rosemary Graham from the Allegan County recycling program is asking many municipalities this year to ask voters to approve an increase in the surcharge from $36 to $50 per household per year to handle rising costs of the program. Many townships and cities already have agreed to do so.
City Manager Josh Eggleston said the city’s five-year agreement for curbside recycling is about to expire, so it’s important to get an idea about costs sometime this year. He noted that if the surcharge is allowed to slip back to $25, the city would have to pick up the costs of a shortfall.
“That $50 a year seems really cheap,” the city manager said.
However, Councilman Rick Mathis, citing recent news reports about China no longer accepting materials, countered, “It (recycling) may not even be an option (in the future). I’d like to know the viability and sustainability in five years.”
Councilwoman Jennifer Antel said that regardless, “Recycling is the right thing to do.”
It is possible that Graham will appear at one of the two meetings of the council next month to further discuss the matter and answer questions.
