As Houston’s missed garbage and recycling pickups spark frustration, a proposed fee structure from the director of the Solid Waste Management Department raises questions about whether taxpayers should pay more to fix city services.

Houston’s 311 service—a call center for handling residents’ non-emergency concerns—has identified missed garbage pickup as the second most common complaint and missed recycling pickup as the fourth. These issues stem from ongoing delays that Mark Wilfalk, director of the Solid Waste Management Department, attributes to a lack of resources.

To address Houston’s growing population and what he describes as chronic underfunding, Wilfalk has proposed introducing a fee structure. Acknowledging the potential backlash, Wilfalk explained, “People are complaining about the service now, and they’re going to complain about a fee, but we can’t expect to deliver quality service if we’re not investing the resources into the program.”

The proposed fee structure would be similar to systems in other major cities, where residents would pay between $15 and $40 monthly to fund waste management operations and ensure timely pickups. For now, Wilfalk’s department plans to implement a measure to provide residents with more accurate information about garbage and recycling pickup schedules, though the measure will not affect the timing of the collections.

Mary Benton, chief of communications for the Mayor’s Office, outlined Mayor John Whitmire’s position on the proposed fee structure in a statement:

Mayor Whitmire has been consistent since day one. He is not going to ask Houstonians to shoulder additional costs, nor will he seek to raise new revenue until he is confident that all waste, fraud, duplication and corruption have been eliminated from the municipal government. Also, EY [Ernst & Young] is finishing its audit of city departments looking for cost savings and operational efficiencies, along with patterns of waste, duplication and corruption. Mayor Whitmire will review all recommendations before deciding whether to consider proposals to raise fees or taxes.

The audit referenced by Benton began in October 2024, following a request from Whitmire to expand EY’s examination of city departments to include Houston’s Tax Increment Reinvestment Zones (TIRZ). This move came in response to an $8.5 million corruption scandal involving misuse of TIRZ funds, which led to three arrests. The expanded audit cost an additional $770,000 and is aimed at identifying cost savings and eliminating inefficiencies.

Last week, Whitmire held a joint press conference with the Houston Police Department and newly elected Harris County District Attorney Sean Teare to address concerns about decades-old evidence storage issues. The evidence room, which had been infested by rats, required additional taxpayer resources to resolve the infestation. The District Attorney’s Office pledged to collaborate with HPD to destroy evidence from completed cases.

Peter Stout, president and CEO of the Houston Forensic Science Center, highlighted the challenges of the situation: “[HPD] had professional exterminators involved but this is difficult, getting these rodents out of there. I mean think about it, they’re drug-addicted rats, they’re tough to deal with.”

Michael Wilson

Michael Wilson is a 5th generation Texan, born and raised just outside of Houston, Texas. He is a devout Christian as well as a husband and father of 2 beautiful children. He fights for Houston daily as a radio host on Patriot Talk 920 AM. @sirmichaelwill

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