Claremont City Council considers trash and sewer rate increases

The Claremont City Council is considering potential increases to trash and sewer rates following a study regarding the necessity of maintaining essential services.

Critics of the proposal suggest that Claremont is an outlier among Los Angeles County cities, noting that 77 of the 88 incorporated cities in the county contract with private companies for trash collection. It is argued that neighboring cities with private contracts maintain significantly lower rates, in some instances by more than 30%. Additionally, concerns have been raised regarding the sanitation department's approximately $5 million in unfunded pension debt, an obligation that cities using private contractors do not carry.