Dear Mayor Betsy and Councilmembers,
My name is Eduardo Hernandez, and I am a resident of Belle Haven.
I am concerned about the proposed multi-year increases to garbage, recycling, and compost rates. While I understand the need to cover rising operational costs, a 6% annual increase through 2030 creates a compounding affordability problem that will significantly impact working families, seniors on fixed incomes, and renters who will ultimately absorb these costs.
In communities like Belle Haven, where residents are already facing high housing costs and economic pressure, even modest monthly increases matter. These are not abstract percentages. They translate into real reductions in household budgets for food, medicine, transportation, and other essentials.
I urge the Council to avoid locking in automatic long-term increases without stronger protections for affordability. Before approving this plan, I ask the City to:
* Identify concrete cost-containment measures within the waste system
* Strengthen low-income rate assistance or subsidies
* Consider shorter review cycles so increases are evaluated annually rather than effectively pre-approved for years
Residents should not be placed on a guaranteed upward cost trajectory without regular public accountability and reconsideration.
Please ensure that affordability and equity are treated with the same seriousness as cost recovery. Essential services must remain accessible to the communities that are already most financially stretched.
Thank you for your consideration.
Eduardo L. Hernandez
Belle Haven Resident for 26 years
