To the editor,
I'm writing this letter to urge fellow city of Monroe taxpayers to contact their elected officials, ask them to reconsider their vote of July 17, and to contract out garbage collection. I worked hard creating and running one of the area's largest businesses. Throughout the years I have gained business insight on the types of challenges Monroe is facing. Based upon that experience, I strongly believe using an outside contractor to provide collection services is the best way to go for all of us.
The number one reason to make the switch is control of costs. Our city can't control the cost of fuel, truck breakdowns, or the lost opportunity costs of managing a garbage program. The city also has no control over potential costly injuries to employees slipping on ice or getting in an accident. With a contractor all of these costs would be fixed. This means total control of costs. No surprises or changes.
Secondly, using a contractor saves the city on total annual costs. The math is simple. A private contractor can guarantee average costs that are lower than a city run program. By not contracting, the city will have to spend more than $1 million on new trucks and carts plus maintain our current costs already in place. It is probably true that automation by the city would require fewer hours of city employee labor. However, unless the total spending is reduced there will be no realized savings. Neither a government nor a business can save money by increasing costs.
Finally, you can increase economic development by keeping our taxpayer money local. Our money stays local if it isn't taken from us by the government in the first place. Less money being taken by our government leaves more money for taxpayers to spend with local businesses. Lower taxes help to spur economic growth.
Using a contractor to provide garbage collection is nothing new in local government. Monroe should try it. We could gain greater control of our costs, lower total costs, and help increase our economic development.
Call the mayor and your elected officials to let them know you support contracted garbage collection in Monroe.
I'm writing this letter to urge fellow city of Monroe taxpayers to contact their elected officials, ask them to reconsider their vote of July 17, and to contract out garbage collection. I worked hard creating and running one of the area's largest businesses. Throughout the years I have gained business insight on the types of challenges Monroe is facing. Based upon that experience, I strongly believe using an outside contractor to provide collection services is the best way to go for all of us.
The number one reason to make the switch is control of costs. Our city can't control the cost of fuel, truck breakdowns, or the lost opportunity costs of managing a garbage program. The city also has no control over potential costly injuries to employees slipping on ice or getting in an accident. With a contractor all of these costs would be fixed. This means total control of costs. No surprises or changes.
Secondly, using a contractor saves the city on total annual costs. The math is simple. A private contractor can guarantee average costs that are lower than a city run program. By not contracting, the city will have to spend more than $1 million on new trucks and carts plus maintain our current costs already in place. It is probably true that automation by the city would require fewer hours of city employee labor. However, unless the total spending is reduced there will be no realized savings. Neither a government nor a business can save money by increasing costs.
Finally, you can increase economic development by keeping our taxpayer money local. Our money stays local if it isn't taken from us by the government in the first place. Less money being taken by our government leaves more money for taxpayers to spend with local businesses. Lower taxes help to spur economic growth.
Using a contractor to provide garbage collection is nothing new in local government. Monroe should try it. We could gain greater control of our costs, lower total costs, and help increase our economic development.
Call the mayor and your elected officials to let them know you support contracted garbage collection in Monroe.
