If you take close look at your bills, you might notice that you are paying more. In the past 18 months, people who live in Albuquerque have seen rate hikes in their water, power and trash bills. In all, it costs you about an extra $12 a month.”They’re hidden taxes,” said Paul Gessing, of the taxpayer watch group Rio Grande Foundation. “They’re taxes by a different name.”The most recent bill to go up: Albuquerque trash rates.This week, the city council voted to approve a $1 hike.It’s the second time in 18 months that trash rates have increased.In all, they have gone up 20%, or an extra $3.”It’s a tax on the poor. It’s a tax on the middle class,” said Albuquerque City Councilor Dan Lewis, who was one of four councilors to vote against the hike. “And the people in the city are just tapped out from more and more money given to city government.”The extra revenue generated by the fees will go to pay for three extra crews to clean up homeless camps across the city.Gessing said the city had millions in extra money to spend in its budget and decided to allocate money to give city employees raises. Albuquerque Solid Waste Department Director Matthew Whalen said by increasing rates, it guarantees that the city will be able to always cover the cost in the event revenue goes down.”If you look at our rate compared to rates with everybody in our region, we are really one of the cheapest solid waste programs that’s run,” Whalen said.Target 7 looked at those numbers, and with the new increase, people who live in Rio Rancho, Santa Fe, Las Cruces, El Paso and Los Alamos will be paying more.Tucson’s rate is cheaper by $1.75.But Gessing says that might not last for long.”I do think that we are experiencing a trend here on fees, partially because prices are going up across our entire economy, as we’ve seen with inflation,” Gessing said.
ALBUQUERQUE, NM —
If you take a close look at your bills, you might notice that you are paying more.
In the past 18 months, people who live in Albuquerque have seen rate hikes in their
water, power and trash bills. In all, it costs you about an extra $12 a month.
“They’re hidden taxes,” said Paul Gessing, of the taxpayer watch group Rio Grande Foundation. “They’re taxes by a different name.”
The most recent bill to go up: Albuquerque trash rates.
This week, the city council voted to approve a $1 hike. It’s the second time in 18 months that trash rates have increased. In all, they have gone up 20%, or an extra $3.
“It’s a tax on the poor. It’s a tax on the middle class,” said Albuquerque City Councilor Dan Lewis, who was one of four councilors to vote against the hike. “And the people in the city are just tapped out from more and more money given to city government.”
The extra revenue generated by the fees will go to pay for three extra crews to clean up homeless camps across the city.
Gessing said the city had millions in extra money to spend in its budget and decided to allocate money to give city employees raises.
Albuquerque Solid Waste Department Director Matthew Whalen said by increasing rates, it guarantees that the city will be able to always cover the cost in the event revenue goes down.
“If you look at our rate compared to rates with everybody in our region, we are really one of the cheapest solid waste programs that’s run,” Whalen said.
Target 7 looked at those numbers, and with the new increase, people who live in Rio Rancho, Santa Fe, Las Cruces, El Paso and Los Alamos will be paying more.
Tucson’s rate is cheaper by $1.75.
But Gessing says that might not last for long.
“I do think that we are experiencing a trend here on fees, partially because prices are going up across our entire economy, as we’ve seen with inflation,” Gessing said.
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