Steinbach City Council has officially approved a small increase to curbside garbage collection fees, following a unanimous vote at Tuesday’s council meeting.
Council gave third reading to Special Service Bylaw 2257, which renews the city’s Residential Curbside Waste Collection Special Service Plan for the next three years. The bylaw, which outlines gradual fee increases, had previously been reviewed and approved by The Municipal Board.
“This particular [bylaw] is reviewed every three to four years,” explained City Manager Troy Warkentin. “It covers the residential curbside waste collection services throughout all of Steinbach.”
New rates effective this year
Under the new plan, the rate for 2025 will be $162 per household, followed by $168 in 2026, and $174 in 2027. The current 2024 rate is $155. This amounts to a $7 increase in the first year, with $6 increases in each of the following two years.
At a public hearing held on February 4, no residents attended to object or ask questions about the proposed rate changes. Warkentin noted at that time that the special service plan is designed to ensure the city raises enough revenue to fully cover the cost of providing curbside waste collection.
Council responds to increase
During Tuesday’s final vote, Councillor Susan Penner emphasized that despite the increase, Steinbach’s garbage collection remains very affordable.
“For the average home, curbside pickup works out to just over $10 a month, which I think is a really good deal for the kind of service we get in Steinbach,” Penner said. “It’s also just necessary because obviously costs keep going up.”
Councillor Damian Penner added that the city’s approach to setting dollar-based increases rather than percentage increases helps avoid large jumps over time.
“Instead of going up 2% each year, they do a flat dollar rate to continue being accountable to taxpayers and to keep things affordable,” he said.
The new rates will take effect this year with the charge included in property tax bills.