Beginning August 1st, Smithfield residents will be paying more for trash collection and wastewater treatment.
The Smithfield Town Council voted unanimously this month to increase fees charged to customers to offset a rate hike from the County of Johnston.
The County increased their tipping fee at the Landfill on July 1st. The increase will amount to a $10,000 increase to the Town of Smithfield to dispose of garbage and debris at the landfill this fiscal year. To offset the cost, the council agreed to raise trash collection rates from $16.00 per month to $16.24 per month for curbside customers. Backyard customers will see rates increase from $20.00 to $20.24.
The Yard Debris collection fee of $10 per month will not change.
An average 5 percent wholesale rate increase in sewer treatment costs from the County of Johnston will also be passed along to Town of Smithfield customers.
In-town residential customers will see their rates increase next month from $8.25 to $8.43 per 1,000 gallons. In-town non-residential rates will increase from $9.90 to $10.08 per 1,000 gallons.
Out-of-town residential customers will see rates go from $16.50 to $16.86 and out-of-town non-residential customers will see an increase from $19.80 to $20.16 per 1,000 gallons.
The base sewer rates for in-town customers will remain at $12.63 per month and out-of-town customer $22.11.
In a memo to the town council, Public Utilities Director Ted Credle said the Town did not budget for the increase and needed to pass along the cost to customers.
