Letter to the Editor: Gardnerville trash fees increase with minimum trash but maximum fees

Effective July 1, 2025, Gardnerville town residents will see a 35% increase in trash fees. Fee increases compounded over the last four years exceed 60%.  The Gardnerville trash service is a public monopoly and requires all town residents and businesses to pay for trash service. 

Town residents include low-income households, senior citizen households, single person households and those who practice reduce, reuse, and recycle to limit trash going to the landfill.

Along with the 35% fee increase, penalties for late payments are also going up.  Because the service is a one-size-fits-all approach that benefits the town, but not the residents, there are no reduced service options.  A large majority of the county’s residents have trash options, including smaller bins or self-haul. Gardnerville does not currently provide any smaller options or self-haul.

Research on five Nevada trash companies both public and private shows rate hikes ranging from less than 2% to 8% with all companies having reduced service options. Gardnerville’s fee increase raises red flags requiring answers.

A review of the CAFR, comprehensive annual financial report, for FY 2024 shows the GV trash fund with a $22,000 loss; however, the subsequent county reconciliation and augment added $219,000 to the fund more than offsetting the loss.  The town is again projecting a loss for FY 2025  and like the 2024 loss will be offset by the county reconciliation and augment.

Public operated monopolies need additional verification to prevent increased fees from being an additional tax circumventing Nevada’s property tax cap.  Improved fiduciary stewardship will help insure the integrity of the fund while benefiting taxpayers.

Mandated public monopolies can and should balance community economic welfare with budget constraints. To continually increase trash fees while operating a one-size-fits-all with no reduced options is a double burden on town residents and raises questions on the town fiduciary stewardship.

As a former enrolled agent and current senior community advocate, I promote transparency and economic fairness in local government.

by Julie Duda, resident of Gardnerville

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