I have been an avid supporter of recycling in Waterville ever since it began in the late 1980s. I don’t mind recycling, and it has become a way of life in my family.

What I do not like is the new pay-as-you-throw program, which requires us to pay $1.50 or $2 per bag to dispose of our trash in special purple bags. I already pay very substantial property taxes, which includes trash collection.

Out of every large pay-as-you-throw $2 bag, the city receives $1.60 in revenue, so this is an added fee or a tax for trash removal. If a resident can’t pay for a trash bag then City Hall will give them one, which is paid out of our taxes, too.

I believe the former city government panicked last year, when the city was facing at a larger bill to dispose of the city’s trash, without looking at all of the possible solutions. I believe the passage of this new program was railroaded into becoming a law without looking into all possible solutions.

A vote on Tuesday to rescind this pay-as-you-throw law will let our new mayor and City Council revisit any and all trash disposal alternatives. The current contract with the Penobscot Energy Recovery Co. incinerator in Orrington expires in 2018. The city has three years to look for new possibilities for trash disposal. There is plenty of time for other disposal options to be explored. What is the rush?

I urge others to vote yes, along with the silent majority, on Tuesday to get rid of this law and make the city government find a better solution for trash collection that is fair to all residents of Waterville.

Barbara T. Shea

Waterville