Councilor Judy Thomas makes things clear about fee increase

During Columbus Council’s first reading Tuesday of the various budget ordinances necessary to make the fiscal 2017 budget a legal document, Councilor Judy Thomas halted what is usually something of a rubber-stamp process to make sure the public was aware of something.

At issue was the first reading of “An ordinance amending Article VII of Chapter 13 of the Columbus Code, Solid Waste Disposal and Collection, by updating the poverty guidelines for an offset to the residential rate for low-income households; and for other purposes.”

Thomas hit her button to be heard and Mayor Teresa Tomlinson gave her the floor.

“I don’t want us to just glide over this one,” Thomas said. “This is to increase the garbage fee from $15 to $17. I don’t want the public to think that we are doing this without plenty of talking and notice that this is happening.”

Thomas said she had good reason for bringing that to everyone’s attention.

“If there is any issue that has been brought to my attention time, and time and time again over this past year, it’s been over us changing the garbage pickup schedule and every time we increase the fee. I’m not proposing that we change the fee. I just want to make sure that everybody knows that this particular piece will increase the garbage from $15 to $17, and I don’t want anyone thinking that we’re trying to slide something through by not saying that out loud enough.

“That’s my only issue here.”

The garbage fee was raised to bring in revenue to replace 33 of the city’s outdated and, frankly, dangerous fleet of garbage trucks.

But apparently the hike, coming on the heels of the city finally reducing residential garbage pickups from twice a week to once a week, has caused some councilors’ phones to ring even more than usual.

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Earlier in the evening, in the midst of reading into the record all sorts of proclamations and resolutions and official recognitions, the young ladies of the Columbus High Lady Blue Devils tennis team who were in attendance were called forward to be recognized for their remarkable season. They went 25-0 this year, capping it off by winning their school’s first Class 5A women’s state tennis championship.

Congratulations, ladies.

This story was originally published June 9, 2016 at 6:02 PM with the headline "Councilor Judy Thomas makes things clear about fee increase."