I read the portion of your recent notice: “... In addition, Council intends to pass a by-law to issue a special tax levy on each property that is eligible to receive curbside garbage collection, pro-rated for half of the year for 2023. As part of this change, each property will be levied the equivalent of $4 per tag for 25 weeks on their property taxes. Each property that is levied the $100.00 waste collection fee will have 25 bag tags mailed to them, with the intention of covering the period from June 1 to December 31.”
What can I say? Whoever prepared that motion did not think it through. It ‘assumes’ that all households in Greater Napanee use at least one garbage tag every week. That is simply not factual.
Many of us seniors, find it important for our society to compost organic waste and recycle whenever possible through our ‘blue’ or ‘grey’ box programs. As such, we only use a garbage tag every two or three weeks.Why would you penalize us by forcing us to pay for garbage tags we do not need? It not only makes no sense, it goes against efforts to minimize waste. It also penalizes seniors and individuals living alone and generating less waste. We have already paid with our own money to buy composters and your proposal would in fact penalize us for doing so. Does that many sense to members of council?
I wish someone would take a few minutes to talk to the waste disposal workers who know that not every household in Napanee put out a garbage bag (or more) weekly.
While you may think that inflation require a 33 per cent increase in the price of garbage tags – even that is hard to accept by seniors who may get only 6 per cent increase in their Social Security and CPP cheques, there is absolutely no need to force us to waste money on tags we do not need nor use.
Respectfully,
Pierre J LeBel (Ward 2)
Napanee
Council should re-think bag tag increase
