Reading Trash Fee Would Rise to $413.87 a Year

Reading households would pay $413.87 a year for trash, recycling and clean-city service in 2027, up from $395.91, under an ordinance on the agenda for City Council's Monday, Oct. 12 meeting. That is $17.96 more a year per unit, or $34.49 a month instead of $32.99.

The ordinance is listed for introduction, not a final vote. Reading introduces ordinances at one meeting and takes final passage at a later one, as the same agenda shows for five bills introduced Sept. 28 and up for passage Oct. 12. The new fee would take effect Jan. 1, 2027.

Why the fee is going up

The city's contract with Republic Services raises its price every year, according to the memo from Solid Waste Division Manager Steven Harrity in the agenda packet. The memo describes the original contract as running five years, 2022 through 2026, and 2027 as the first of two potential one-year extensions.

The three parts of the fee move in different directions:

Part of the annual fee	2026	Proposed 2027
Trash collection	$273.03	$260.00
Recycling collection	$90.00	$120.00
Clean-city fee	$32.88	$33.87
Total	$395.91	$413.87

The trash portion would drop $13.03, while recycling would rise $30, a one-third increase. The memo does not explain the shift. Extra recycling carts would also cost more: $70.88 for a 65-gallon cart, up from $67.50, and $54.59 for a 35-gallon cart, up from $53.00.

A trash, recycling and clean-city rate ordinance was also listed on the Oct. 5 special-meeting agenda alongside the 2027 budget bills, without the rates. The Oct. 12 packet is the first posted version with the figures.

Public Safety Building on hold

An $86,755 contract on the consent agenda shows the city has put off its plan for a police and fire Public Safety Building at 951 Morgantown Road. The city bought the property in 2023 to house training and operations for both departments, according to the memo prepared by Capital Projects Manager David Anspach III.

"Due to a shift in focus, the full project is not expected to be completed in a timely manner," the memo says. The 2026 budget set aside $4 million for the work. About $487,000 has been spent on sprinklers, and the rest "will be returned to the Capital accounts for future allocations." The new contract, with the Remodeling Authority, replaces five heating and cooling units so the building can stay in use. The memo does not say what changed the city's focus. It says a budget amendment must be approved by council; none is on the Oct. 12 agenda.

The city's 2027 draft budget still lists $100,000 in 2027 for "continued renovations to the Public Safety Bldg" among police capital projects.

Other items Monday

• Ladder truck: a final payment of $972,500 to Glick Fire Equipment Co. for a Pierce 102-foot tractor-drawn aerial ladder truck. The city put $1 million down when it signed the contract in December 2023, and the fire chief's memo says the truck is largely completed and expected to ship from Wisconsin soon.
• Youth violence: a $75,000 contract with January Advisors of Houston to lead planning for community violence prevention, paid with a Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency grant.
• Police hiring: a new ordinance would require officers transferring from other departments to have at least one year of police or law enforcement experience, and out-of-state applicants to bring a full state training waiver.
• Code Blue: the 5 p.m. Committee of the Whole opens with an hour-long Code Blue update for winter 2026-27.

The four 2027 budget ordinances introduced Oct. 5 (property tax, positions, general fund and capital) are listed for final passage but marked "Pending – Budget Review Process," so no budget vote is expected Monday. The Oct. 12 agenda labels them "2026" ordinances and lists the tax rate as 19.261 mills. The tax bill introduced Oct. 5 is itself inconsistent: its figures say 19.217 mills, the current rate, while its written-out wording says 19.261. The Oct. 5 agenda and the city's draft budget both describe keeping the 19.217-mill rate. Council's budget review sessions begin Wednesday, Oct. 14, and a public hearing on the general fund and capital budgets is set for Oct. 28.

How to comment

The regular meeting starts at 7 p.m. in Council Chambers and on Zoom, Facebook and BCTV. To speak or submit written comment, register with the City Clerk's Office by 4 p.m. on the day of the meeting at 610-655-6205 or council@readingpa.gov, or sign up in Council Chambers between 5 and 7 p.m. Speakers on agenda items get five minutes; others get three. Only city residents and taxpayers may speak unless council allows otherwise.

For more on the city's finances, see our report on Reading's 2027 draft budget. For how city and county taxes fit together, see our guide to Berks County property tax.