Peabody adopts $200 annual residential trash fee with discounts, effective July 1

The Peabody City Council adopted an ordinance on June 25 to establish a residential trash fee of $200 per dwelling unit for structures of four units or fewer, effective July 1, 2026. The fee will be billed semiannually and the finance department has discretion to move to quarterly billing.

The ordinance includes discounts: a $100 senior citizen discount for owner‑occupants aged 65 and older (a $50 discount per half year), a $100 veteran discount (also $50 per half year), and a $100 discount for owner‑occupied dwellings that provide proof of a compost pickup contract. Qualifying exemptions under M.G.L. chapter 59 §5 clauses are available for reductions up to 100 percent, and vacant units may receive credit for months unoccupied with documentation.

Enforcement provisions allow the director of engineering/public works to assess fines up to $250 for false documentation, and past due balances may incur a $15 demand fee plus interest at 12% annually and become a lien after 60 days. The fee is set to remain at $200 for at least five years through June 30, 2031. The ordinance passed by roll call, 8–3.