Privatizing garbage and recycling collection service could save the city of Oxford
As much as $175,000 a year, according to an example provided Tuesday by the city.
"In a town the size of Oxford, that's big money," Mayor Jerry Roseberry said Tuesday.
The bulk of the savings, $102,828, would come from cuts to the payroll for sanitation workers, according to Roseberry.
Two sanitation workers have retired and the city is considering whether to replace them and continue providing the service or hiring out for the work. The city continues to pay pensions and medical insurance for the retirees.
The city has received six bids from haulers, but took no action on privatizing service during its meeting Monday. The council will continue discussions at its work session at 6 p.m. on March 21.
If Oxford uses a contractor, its landfill costs could decline by $16,485. The city also could collect $55,680 more in fees from city residents for the service than it would pay the contractor at $12 per container for 580 containers. The $12 sum was for illustrative purposes. The six bids vary.
An option to be considered is for the savings to be used to rollback the $20 a month collection fees paid by city residents.
The city continues to provide regular sanitation and recycling services.
In other business, the council discussed but took no action on a request from Oxford College to waive $5,700 in late fees the college incurred after it was late paying its utility bill in January.
The university was later than usual in processing the bill because of the holiday break and the ice and snow that shut down the campus in January.
The council wants the city staff to determine how many of its regular-paying customers were late in January because of similar situations and give them a waiver in fees for the month.