Bloomington city council members have struck down a proposal that would have raised the fees residents pay for trash pickup.
The ordinance proposed several possible rate changes that would have eliminated the amount of general fund support to the city’s Sanitation Division’s budget.
Under those proposals, residents’ fees would increase based on how much general fund support was cut.
The ordinance also sought to make several revisions with trash pick-up practices laid out under city code.
City administration says the rate hike is necessary because the cost of sanitation services continues to rise.
Three of eight council members present at Wednesday's meeting — Matt Flaherty, Isabel Piedmont-Smith and Kate Rosenbarger — supported the ordinance while the others voted against it. Council member Dave Rollo was not present.
Members considered pushing back a vote by a week, or even after council's four-week recess from late June to July to allow time to revise it — but several expressed a preference for voting Wednesday.
The council said it wants to work with city administration on a new, improved proposal. The earliest it could do so is the first meeting after its recess, which falls on July 26th.
This story will be updated.
