Goshen officials say trash fee could be phased in if revenue shortfall deepens

GOSHEN — At the Sept. 12 work session, Goshen leaders identified an environmental services fee for trash and recycling as a possible revenue option if projected state-driven revenue shortfalls cannot be otherwise addressed.

Mayor (name not specified) said the council has evaluated the environmental services fee as "one possibility" should larger deficits materialize. The administration described a phased-in approach; "our preliminary estimates for that, about $7 a month," the mayor said, adding that the first-year estimate would cover basic trash and recycling collection and would not include specialty services such as rush pickup.

Staff framed the fee as a last-resort option to address a potentially large revenue gap in later years should state-level changes reduce net municipal revenue. The mayor said the council has discussed phasing the fee and indicated the city might begin a public conversation as early as next summer if no legislative remedy appears.

Officials emphasized the fee design would be targeted to cover trash and recycling collection costs; initial modeling cited a modest monthly charge phased in over time. No formal decision was made at the work session; staff said the fee would be brought back for public discussion and that any implementation would require council approval.

Ending — Councilors and staff said they prefer to avoid new fees if possible but noted the environmental services fee is one of several policy levers they are evaluating to preserve essential services if revenue losses materialize.