On the heels of several months’ disruption after the departure of Spur's household garbage collection provider last fall, the city is now facing a need to raise rates to its customers, according to city secretary Ashley Carothers.
As a guest speaker at a recent city workshop reminded city officials and staff, when the vendor’s rates go up, it’s not sustainable for the city’s general fund to simply absorb the increases.
That’s where Spur finds itself now, in its new contract with Lubbock-based Caprock Waste.
“We want customers to understand the reasoning behind the changes,” Carothers said. She shared with The Texas Spur a spreadsheet that makes the gap clear. Council will likely debate the matter on its next regular meeting agenda.
The numbers speak volumes: operating in the red isn’t sustainable for a municipality, any more than it would be for private enterprise.
Carothers also said that over the city’s history as a utility provider, it has on occasion enacted rate changes via city council resolution, or via amendments to existing ordinances. Recently, it has handled rate changes—such as the 2022 increase in water and gas monthly charges, and new rates for service installations—by way of a new resolution. The time and effort invested in drafting, vetting, and voting on a resolution or ordinance is considerable, so elected officials look to city staff and consultants for guidance and hope to make decisions that will provide for the future, at least in the short term.
Citizens aren’t always happy with the results on their own pocketbooks, Carothers said, but she hopes that better public education regarding the cost of obtaining needed services will be beneficial to all.
Carothers also noted that, in wrapping up the previous service by SOS Waste, there are still “a handful” of SOS dumpsters remaining in the area, which the city has reminded the company to pick up. Customers observing such containers, especially if they remain full, are encouraged to also call SOS Waste at (844) 767-3867 to request removal.
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