WATERVILLE — The city’s controversial new trash collection system is among the top issues driving the race for Ward 4 on the City Council, which pits incumbent Erik Thomas, a Democrat, against newcomer Sydney R. Mayhew, a Republican.

Thomas, 39, owner of both Digital Imageworks and Sweet People Productions, supports the pay-as-you-throw trash program and says it should continue. Mayhew, 49, a general manager of a McDonald’s restaurant, adamantly opposes the way the new trash collection system was launched, saying residents should have been given the opportunity to approve or reject it.

Under the program, residents must buy special purple trash bags for curbside collection that occurs each week. The program also includes curbside recycling on the first and third full weeks of the month. Supporters say the new program reduces overall waste and saves the city money, while opponents think it’s an unfair cost.

Thomas, who chairs the city’s Solid Waste Committee, said he doesn’t think pay-as-you-throw is the most important issue in the election and that there are many other challenges facing the city that must be addressed.

“What nobody’s talking about is the alternatives (to pay-as-you-throw),” Thomas said. “The alternative is a one mill ($1 per $1,000 of property valuation) tax increase or make cuts to things like road repairs, school budget, police, fire. This was, I think, something that got lost in the debate when people said they were opposed to it, and they didn’t offer any alternatives.”

Pay-as-you-throw has cut the city’s solid waste stream by nearly 60 percent and now saves the city $4,000 a week, according to Thomas. He noted that voters will have a chance to continue pay-as-you-throw or repeal it at a referendum in June 2015.

Mayhew said he supports recycling, which is part of the new trash program, but he opposes the $2 trash bag fee people must pay to dispose of trash.

“I am opposed to that and I think there’s a better solution, or we can look at different efficiencies in the budget,” he said. “I am for recycling. I do believe in recycling. I think there should be an option for recycling. In my walking around, house to house, 98 percent of the people are against pay-as-you-throw. They do like the recycling part.”

Mayhew said he decided to run for the Ward 4 seat after attending council meetings at which pay-as-you-throw was discussed, and he thought people who spoke against or questioned the program were not taken seriously by city officials.

“The big thing with pay-as-you-throw is the people on fixed incomes and Social Security — hearing their stories — and they were about in tears up at the podium,” he said.

Thomas said he is running for re-election because he wants to continue the work that he has done over the years.

“I just want people to know I think my record is clear of service to the community,” Thomas said. “I have been volunteering, in one form or another, basically since I started my business (Digital ImageWorks) in 2006. I’ve given literally thousands of hours through Waterville Main Street, the City Council, Planning Board.”

Mayhew says he thinks councilors are out of touch with their constituents, and he feels a calling to represent them.

“I have lived in Waterville all my life,” he said. “I was encouraged by friends and family to run and decided to do it.”

Both candidates approve of the job City Manager Michael Roy is doing.

Thomas said Roy is in a tough position, as he is constantly dealing with new personalities as the council membership changes.

If elected, Mayhew said, he would push for having face-to-face meetings with residents outside of City Hall.

“I’d like to see some good old-fashioned town meetings,” he said. “I think the City Council should come out of chambers sometimes and hold their meetings in different parts of the city in an old-fashioned town hall meeting — at places like the Muskie Center, Waterville Senior High School — just do some different things to get out of the norm. I think we need to get the residents involved. The council needs to listen with more empathy to their constituents. I don’t see enough of that. I welcome discussion.”

Thomas said he thinks the municipal budget is going to present one of the biggest challenges for councilors, especially if there is no change with state revenue sharing for towns and cities.

“We’re going to have to be more creative about ways to save money and about ways to use TIFs (tax increment financing),” he said. “We’re going to have to be much more creative with our budget than we have in the past.”

Amy Calder — 861-9247

acalder@centralmaine.com

Twitter: @AmyCalder17

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