Chandler council approves solid-waste, utility fee changes and majority backs higher nonresident recreation fees

Chandler's City Council voted Feb. 26 to adopt a package of fee adjustments that will raise several city service and utility charges and to advance changes aimed at shifting more costs to nonresidents for select recreation and cultural services.

Staff presented resolution 5966 as part of an annual fee review and a wider citywide fee study. The city's proposal included raising the monthly residential solid-waste disposal fee from $20 to $21.05, resetting the cost of solid-waste containers to $150, increasing special curbside and alley collection charges, and raising the residential recycling center charge from $50 per ton to $70 per ton. For police records, staff proposed changing the video-recording copy fee from $25 to $46 for up to the first hour and adding a $10 letter-of-clearance fee.

"This is to reflect the 6% increase that's needed in that enterprise fund to keep it solvent," a staff presenter said about the solid-waste changes and added that several price adjustments simply align city charges with the costs built into vendor contracts. The presenter also noted the recommended fee changes would take effect March 2, 2026.

The council split the fee package into two votes. Council member Orlando moved to approve the public works and utilities portion (which staff described as driven by contractual obligations); that motion carried unanimously.

Orlando then moved approval of the remaining fees covering community services, cultural development and police, with one modification: keep resident fee levels unchanged while raising proposed nonresident rates. "My desire is to give our residents a small break while we do this study," Orlando said, arguing the council should pursue a holistic review of fee structures over the next several months. Staff cautioned that some recreation formulas use nonresident rates as the basis for resident discounts, meaning changes could have unintended effects unless staff recalibrates the grid. John, a staff presenter, said he had proposed a 20% increase in certain recreation pricing to absorb staff wage and materials cost growth since 2008.

Council members debated the trade-offs. Council member Ellis urged moving forward rather than repeatedly sending the package back to staff; Council member Harris and others supported protecting resident fee levels in the near term. After discussion, the motion to keep residents at current rates and raise nonresident rates passed by majority, with the mayor and one council member recorded as opposing.

The council did not approve any new policy beyond the fee changes at the meeting; members asked staff to return within several months with a comprehensive fee-structure review and with dollar estimates to show how subsidies for residents would affect the budget.

What happens next: The public works and utilities increases are effective March 2, 2026, per staff. Council asked staff to provide follow-up analyses on long-term pricing policy, the total dollar impact of resident subsidies, and six-month updates on high-demand amenities such as pickleball courts.

Votes at a glance: The public works and utilities fee motion passed unanimously. The motion to keep resident fees flat while raising nonresident rates passed by majority (motion recorded as carried with the mayor and one council member voting no).