This is Art Menius.
I have been following with great interest the efforts by Carrboro, Orange County, and Chapel Hill to agree on a new fee structure for recycling. We have witnessed some high-level discussion on what equity really means concerning one fee for all versus tiered fees with rural residents paying more that Chapel Hill town council supports. I applaud that the proposals call for an expansion of curbside recycling in the county. Fundamental equity and fairness, however, demands that county residents receive at least the same level of service, meaning curbside recycling, if we are to pay more, or even the same, amount as town dwellers.
I understand the argument that town residents should pay less than rural folks since they are paying to support the costs of the convenience centers. Therein lies the rub. Convenience Centers are anything but convenient, especially compared to the curbside recycling enjoyed by town residents. Heck, when we lived at the end of the road near the top of the mountain, ¾ of a mile off the main road, in impoverished southeastern Kentucky, we enjoyed curbside recycling at no additional charge above the property taxes.
We live in Bingham Township. My wife, being the one who wanted a pick-up, loads bags of trash and recycling into the bed of her truck. Then she drives six miles to the Convenience Center on Ferguson Road on one of the days when it is open, unloads everything there, and drives the six miles back. That is inconvenience.
When the Assembly of Governments meets on Thursday, please do what is necessary to expand curbside recycling county-wide and close the expensive convenience centers. One fee or two-tiered, the real equity lies in curbside pick up for all. If a mountain county in Kentucky with a per capita income less than $12,000 can do it, can’t we do the same in Orange County?
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