Northborough Select Board raises pay-as-you-throw bag fees to help close budget gap

The Select Board voted March 9 to increase the town's pay-as-you-throw solid-waste fees in an effort to narrow a projected budget shortfall and strengthen a structurally recurring revenue stream. The change — effective July 1, 2026 — raises the large-bag price from $3 to $4, the small-bag price from $1.50 to $2.50, and bulk-item labels from $10 to $20.

Finance Director Jason Little presented revenue figures showing about $578,000 in total solid-waste revenue in 2025, roughly $550,000 of which came from bag fees and bulky-item labels. Little warned that raising prices will likely reduce participation somewhat and that private-hauler migration is a risk; the board's models used an assumed 2.5% decline in bag sales as prices rise.

"We wanted a way to be prudent and avoid turning around next year and asking to fill a new deficit," Jason Little said during the presentation, describing multiple modeled scenarios and the likely net revenue impacts.

Board members debated trade-offs including fairness to seniors and low-income residents, the risk of pushing households to private haulers, and the program's long-term sustainability. "There's a lot of residents who are looking at their dollars pretty closely right now," Select Board member Mike Tietjen said, urging caution about sticker shock for households on fixed incomes. Jacob Jones argued the increase was a reasonable structural move to avoid one-time fixes; John Ray recommended a middle-ground approach to reduce both immediate impact and future subsidy needs.

After discussion the board approved the package by roll call. Jacob Jones made the motion and John Ray seconded. Chair Julianne Hirsch announced the motion passed and instructed staff to publish the exact dates and to return with any final implementation details.

Officials said the town will monitor program participation and the private-hauler market and will consider outreach or targeted assistance for residents with limited means if needed.

The board's decision appears intended to both reduce this year's projected general-fund exposure related to the solid-waste enterprise and to create recurring revenue that helps to stabilize future budgets.