GIRARD — Residents in the city have been receiving information about changes with the trash collection billing beginning with the first invoice in May.

Safety Service Director Mark Ragozine said at a recent council meeting a letter was sent to residents about changes to the city’s trash collection.

Ragozine said residents have always been billed for trash services, with the fees collected through a series of property tax levies. He said there were five active levies collecting property taxes to cover the cost of trash collection services.

Officials said in 2023, the former city administration and council recognized that the levies were not generating enough revenue to cover the costs of trash collection since some of the levies expired.

Ragozine said two previous garbage levies dropped off in 2024 and 2025. The remaining levies are a 1.1-mill, 1-mill and 0.8-mill.

The 1.1-mill and 1-mill levies will expire in 2027 and the 0.8-mill levy will expire in 2028.

Ragozine said the tax levy money goes into a specific garbage fund, and the levy money will continue to be used to offset some of the costs associated with trash collection from Republic Services.

In 2026, the levies combined to cover the entire first quarter of collection services for the city.

He said since two of the levies dropped off, the remaining three are only generating enough funds to cover the costs of one quarter of trash collection. Officials said during the next three quarters of 2026, residents will receive an invoice directly from Republic Services.

“We are simply changing the manner in which residents will pay for services from property tax levies to an individual paper system,” Ragozine said.

He said the fee for trash collection was $715,000 annually, which was covered by the five trash levies, but with only three levies, customers are contributing $16.59 per month effective with the April billing.

Beginning with the first invoice in May, residents will be billed $49.77 ($16.59 per month) plus a $5.95 administrative fee for a total of $55.72 quarterly.

This is the billing structure that will be in place for 2026.

Ragozine said the $5.95 administrative fee generated by Republic Services is because as there is a transition away from the city of Girard paying one bill for the community, the costs associated with invoices being generated from nearly 4,000 locations create additional costs for Republic Services.

Republic Services must now generate, process and mail out thousands of invoices.

He said Republic Services is the single exclusive trash hauler for the city, with a contract through February 2029. He said in the fall 2028, the city will bid out for trash collection services, and numerous companies can bid.

Resident and former councilman Mike Costarella said he owns two properties in the city, and he is concerned that some residents will not pay their garbage bills. Resident Roberta Lawrentz said she only has one bag of trash per week since she recycles.

Mayor Mark Zuppo said the city will look at curbside recycling in the future.

VACANT PROPERTY FEES

In other business, resident Amanda Teutsch, who is involved with property rehabilitation, said officials have said they want to bring economic development to the city and get empty buildings filled.

“To get that to happen and attract businesses, you have to lower barriers to filling those empty buildings. Recent action by council is making it harder to attract small businesses from coming here. The city needs to create opportunities for small businesses and investors to come here,” Teutsch said.

She was referring to an amendment passed earlier this month to increase registration fees on vacant properties in an effort to reduce the number of unused buildings. All buildings must register with the city’s zoning department each year, with the new ordinance doubling the registration fee of a building that is found to be vacant. The flat registration fee for all residential buildings is $250.

The owner of the vacant building now pays $500 the second year, $1,000 the third year, $2,000 the fourth year, and caps at $4,000 per year if it remains vacant.

The flat registration fee for all commercial buildings is $400. A vacant commercial building would pay $800 the second year, $1,600 the third year, $3,200 the fourth year, and caps off at $6,400 each year it remains vacant.

James Clark, D-2nd Ward, said vacant buildings are a safety hazard to the community and are generally unsightly. Clark has said he modeled the amendment after a similar ordinance in St. Mary’s, a city in northwest Ohio.

However, Teutsch said higher fees for vacant properties do not create tenants, do not help move projects along or reduce the number of rehab projects.

“Girard has real things to build on. We have unique businesses here that no one else has. We should be promoting our local existing businesses and build a small economic engine in our downtown,” Teutsch said.

She said vacant properties should be made public so people know they are available.

“I want to see businesses choosing Girard to locate in,” she said.

Wes Steiner, D-at Large, said there are 30 vacant properties in the downtown and seven are listed for rent. He said the city has 112 storefronts, which is more than Youngstown.