The cost of taking out the trash is going up for residents of unincorporated areas of Bernalillo County.
County commissioners on Tuesday voted to approve a 6.5% increase in residential solid waste user fees.
Basic trash service — which includes one trash receptacle and one cart for recyclables — is going from $18.72 a month to $19.94.
Antonio Jaramillo, the county’s director of operations and maintenance, said the contract with Waste Management of New Mexico allows the rate to be raised each year to match growth in the consumer price index. He said the increases are usually every other year, although this time around the rate is going up in consecutive years.
Commissioners also approved a related motion to increase the solid waste services budget by $420,000, matching the revenues the rate increase is expected to produce.
The county has about 25,000 solid waste customers.