PORTLAND, Ore. – A proposal to increase the cost of garbage service goes before the city council on Wednesday morning.

If it’s passed, residents on the east side of town would pay about $1.20 more per month. People on the west side of town would pay about $1.30 because the garbage trucks burn more fuel navigating the hilly area. The average customer may have to pay just over four percent more a month.

"We are never happy to have to propose an increase in rates,” said Michael Armstrong, with the Bureau of Planning & Sustainability. “We have haulers out there who are delivering a basic service to the community and facing higher costs, and we owe it to them to let them cover their costs."

Some residents believe that the city’s new composting system is to blame for the rate hike request. However, city officials said that is not the case.

They cited rising fuel costs and recycling companies getting paid less for the recyclables they collect.

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