Throwing Away your Money

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Recommended: Privatization of public services

Section One

Residents may be throwing away more than trash when the city run garbage trucks collect their rubbish. Government run solid waste collection costs approximately twenty-five percent more than when a private contract company is utilized. (Teel 1993) The concept of privatizations of solid waste collection services is nothing new. This change from using government employees and government owned trucks and landfills to contracting with a private company for solid waste collection is a trend that is getting more attention lately. The move to privatization is usually driven by the desire for cost savings. (Hyres, 2010)

There is much debate over the quality of public versus private contracts of municipal services. The other branch of this debate is the cost benefits to taxpayers. One of these municipal services is solid waste collection. Waste services can be broken down into three areas, all of which are available to be contracted out to private companies. The stages are collection of solid waste from households and businesses, recycling (collection and processing), and disposal of non-recyclable products at landfills. (Wright & Nebel, 2002) There are costs incurred for each stage especially at the landfill. From the collection, to the sorting, to final disposal all of this ends up being a costly process for the taxpayer. In this economic climate, many cities are facing budget shortfalls and waste collection is getting close attention. Medina County is no exception, Medina is looking for ways to save, and more efficiently use taxpayer’s money. One viable option is to privatize garbage collection. The policy for solid waste management in Medina County needs to be amended from being a flow-control system manag...

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There will be resistance with privatization, but it is still worthwhile. It is an option that needs to be thoroughly considered. To minimize resistance and job loss, it can be requested for a company to hire some city workers in the contract. (Hyres, 2010)

The benefits of privatization are undeniable. Privatization manages liabilities, improves efficiency, cuts costs, and improves accountability. (Raphaelson, 1998) Between the economic conditions, and local governments being faced with many projects that need taxpayer’s dollars, it is a good time to push for privatization of garbage collection and landfills. It is a very difficult decision for an elected official to make, but today’s economy is giving them the “political cover” to make the move towards privatization, and if it is done properly, it is a win-win decision for all involved. (Segal, 2000)

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