Rubatino Raising Everett Garbage Rates, Utility Tax Could Be Double Whammy

Rubatino Refuse Removal

Click on the photo of trucks to visit the Rubatino Refuse website.

On Wednesday, Ed Rubatino made what he said was a courtesy call on the Everett City Council to announce that garbage collection rates for the city of Everett would be going up. Rubatino said this is the first increase since 2009 and that rates would be going up between 6% and 9%. The amount of the increase depends on the type of service and type of recycling programs customers are using. The increase was recently approved by the Washington State Utility and Transportation Commission. Customers will be getting an insert with their next bill that describes the rate increase as it would apply to them. Meanwhile, Everett Mayor Ray Stephanson is proposing a 6% utility tax on garbage collection and cable TV service within the City of Everett. Currently there is no utility tax on cable and garbage service in the city but as part of his structural deficit reduction plan the Mayor is asking the Everett City Council to approve an immediate 2% tax on garbage service and cable service which will rise 2% per year until it reaches 6% after January 1, 2017. He’s also asking for a 1.5% increase on other utilities including telephone (landline and cellular), electricity and natural gas to bring those to 6% from their current 4.5%. In the ordinance prepared for city council consideration, the Mayor says the city has not reviewed its utility and natural gas tax use for over fifteen years. You can see the proposed utility tax ordinance here.

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