By: Sylene Argent, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Essex Free Press
Council for the County of Essex postponed adopting a charge for users of the Green Bin program until administration can report on options to subsidize the organics pick-up user-fee from reserves for the County residents included in the program.
The resolution narrowly passed with a vote of 7-6 at the February 18 meeting, with Essex Mayor Sherry Bondy, and the reps from Kingsville, Tecumseh, and Lakeshore in favour, and the reps from Leamington, LaSalle, and Amherstburg opposed. Essex Deputy Mayor Rob Shepley was absent.
Lakeshore Mayor Tracey Bailey made the motion at the February 18 meeting, with Essex Mayor Sherry Bondy seconding. The Green Bin user-fee was one of the fees postponed as part of the overarching County Fees and Charges By-Law and Report.
The resolution was made after the County Councillors heard a lot of concern and upset in the past few weeks about the cost of the program.
Later in the meeting, Bailey further put forward a Notice of Motion to be discussed at the March 4 meeting, to suggest some changes to the Green Bin user fee as it was outlined in the County Fees and Changes By-Law.
Bailey would like the cost of the user-fee of the Green Bin program for the County to be fully funded from reserves in the 2026 Budget year, funded 50% for residents of the Phase 1 municipalities from reserves and 100% from reserves for residents of Phase 2 municipalities as part of the 2027 Budget, fund 50% of Phase 2 municipalities in 2028, and that the cost be through the General Municipal Tax Levy in 2029. Her motion asked that administration come up with a plan for each of these years.
She put this forward as a Notice of Motion, so fellow County Councillors could think about it leading up to the March 4 meeting.
Her resolution noted that the Green Bin fee may cause financial pressures to the residents of the County at a time of extreme economic uncertainty.
The County has monetary reserves that Council may use to partially or wholly offset the cost of the program, she said.
Green Bin billing facts:
- Green Bin user fee applies only to eligible residential properties
- It is collected through local municipal tax bills on behalf of the County, and is structured on a cost-recovery basis.
- Organics will be picked-up at single-family homes and multi-residences with six-units or less.
- Windsor, Essex, Lakeshore, Tecumseh, and LaSalle are phase 1 municipalities, with the Green Bin launch taking place in October of 2025.
- Kingsville, Leamington, and Amherstburg are phase 2 municipalities, with the Green Bin launch taking place in October of 2025.
- The total amount to be recovered in 2026 (including the service for this year and the last three months of 2025) for phase 1 municipalities are: $1,577,808 from Essex ($186.19 per household); $2,849,114 from Lakeshore ($188.10 per household); $2,124,273 for LaSalle ($188.42 per household); $1,544,414 for Tecumseh ($183.64 per household).
Brief program evolution:
- At the October 20, 2021 meeting, the previous term of County Council approved the EWSWA recommendation to present to – and obtain comments from – all of the County Municipalities relating to desire to participate as part of a regional approach to the Food and Organics Waste Management.
- In March of 2022, the previous Term of County Council advised EWSWA all Essex County municipalities will participate in a regional solution for the collection and processing of organic waste material from urban settlement areas, at a minimum, as part of the short-term processing contract commencing January 1, 2025 or immediately upon the expiration of a municipality’s existing waste collection contract. Essex’s reps at County Council at the time, Councillor Steve Bjorkman and Mayor Richard Meloche, were opposed.
- April 2024, EWSWA awarded the contract for the curbside collection of source-separated organics in urban settlement areas for a seven-year period to Miller Waste Systems Inc.
- In June of 2024, County Council adopted a hybrid model for billing, and the decision was made to expand the program beyond urban areas to include rural as well.
The hybrid model combined the County levy-based funding model with a user-fee methodology for the expenses associated with the regional food and organic waste green bin program. This will appear as an Essex County levy on the municipal tax bills of residents who receive the service.
It was noted the estimated cost in year one for organic pick-up for urban settle areas was$5,987,280, and an additional $2,007,720 for rural. That did not include any potential discount offered by Miller Waste for the inclusion of rural households at program commencement. County Administration recommended adding the rural component.
Essex’s Bondy and Shepley voted against including rural areas. The vote passed 8-6.
- At the February 4 meeting, County Council provided unanimous support to Essex Mayor Sherry Bondy’s motion to ask EWSWA to provide available statistics to date on the effectiveness of the Green Bin organics collection program in each of the County’s seven local municipalities.
The County will also ask for available statistics to date on the effectiveness of the program in urban areas and rural areas, details of the public education campaign to date and for future planned campaigns, and the cost of the program to each of the seven local municipalities.
Other changes proposed as part of the County Fees and Charges By-Law:
The County annually reviews its County Fees and Charges By-Law to ensure they continue to reflect the actual costs of delivering services, Melissa Ryan, Director of Financial Services, explained.
For 2026, admin recommended two adjustments, along with the inclusion of the Green Bin user-fee.
- A small increase to the fee of commissioning documents, from $20 – $25 to better reflect staff time and administrative overhead, while remaining in line with other municipalities.
- An increase to the ambulance call report request, a shared task between Council Services and EMS, from $75 to $100. Even with the increase, the fee does not fully cover the cost of providing the service. Administration is recommending a gradual increase. There is no charge when an individual requests their own care records.
