Jersey City is still “exploring options” on how to bill garbage and recycling pickups after its controversial solid waste billing policy was suspended last month amid complaints from angry residents who received outrageously high bills. But a couple city council candidates have ideas that could reshape how the pickups are handled and billed.
City spokeswoman Kimberly Wallace-Scalcione said that anyone who “overpaid would be fully credited,” reiterating an announcement Mayor Steve Fulop made on July 24, but it’s unclear if the MUA will refund the entire fee. And when asked about the city’s plans for the solid waste fee, Wallace-Scalcione said the city was “exploring options.” Previously, the five-year, $77.5 million contract would be paid as part of homeowners’ property taxes. The new fee system, which charged homeowners based on their water usage, was implemented in January to make sure residents in tax-abated properties paid their fair share.
Ward E Councilman James Solomon, who has led the charge in repealing the solid waste fee, thinks the city should replace the solid waste fee with a “pay-as-you-throw” plan that would allow residents to pay based on the amount of garbage put to the curb. Under the pay-as-you-throw system, residents are charged a fee for each bag or can of waste generated. In some communities, residents are billed based on the weight of their trash.