County could dip into reserves to pay for Green Bin program

Essex County Civic Centre

Amherstburg residents will be participating in the Essex County-wide organic waste green bin program beginning this fall, but just when they will start to pay for it is still unclear.

Lakeshore Mayor Tracey Bailey brought forth a notice of motion as part of Essex County council’s meeting last Wednesday night that the cost for the program this year be paid out of reserves and that the cost to the taxpayers be phased in over the next three years.

“Whereas the county recognizes that the charging of the user fee may cause undue pressures to the residents of the county at a time of extreme uncertainty,” Bailey read as part of her motion.

Essex, Lakeshore, LaSalle and Tecumseh (phase one) are already collecting the organic waste while Amherstburg, Kingsville and Leamington (phase two) begin this fall.

Bailey’s motion, which will be debated and possibly accepted at the next meeting (March 4), asks for 100 percent of the user fee to be paid out of reserves for all municipalities in 2026. Next year would see 50 per cent for phase one and 100 percent for phase two, which includes Amherstburg and 50 percent for phase two in 2028 followed by 100 percent user fee in 2029.

After reading her lengthy motion, Bailey said, “thanks for giving me the opportunity to read that one  and also having it come up on our agenda so members around this table have some time to review and consider it.”

While it is not known what the cost in Amherstburg will be for the program, at a recent county council meeting, Deputy Mayor Chris Gibb said it would be approximately $150 for each home which could save the municipality up to $35,000 per year through waste diversion.

At a recent meeting, one county resident asked whether there was an option to opt out of the program. 

Bylaw 2026-04 was deferred at the Feb. 18 meeting. It was a bylaw indicating how user fees, particularly the Green Bin Program would be paid for.

That bylaw stated that user fees are mandatory for all eligible properties and shall not be optional. It also said that residents shall not to be permitted to opt out of the program and that green bin fees shall be adjusted annually to reflect actual program costs.

County could dip into reserves to pay for Green Bin program

By Fred Groves