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Majority Protests Garbage Rate Increase

At a hearing on March 18, 2013, Ratepayer Protection Alliance (RPA) turned in 715 signed garbage rate protests to the Sutter Creek City Council. To stop the rate increase under Proposition 218, 588 protests are needed according to the City.

At the hearing, not one Council member asked any questions, and despite repeated public requests, no one from the City asked ACES to justify the rate increases which total 41% over the next 4.5 years. More...

Jackson Resident Sues City Over Garbage Rates

Jackson resident William Orescan filed a lawsuit against the City of Jackson alleging that the City has violated the Constitutional provisions of Proposition 218 by failing to allow the public the opportunity to protest garbage rate increases. More...

Garbage Rate Issues

ACES Waste Services is the only garbage collection service in Amador County. ACES has 9 service areas within Amador. Click here for a map of the service areas.

Each of the 5 city service areas is controlled by that city’s council. The Amador County Board of Supervisors controls the 4 other service areas. Each government entity has a franchise agreement with ACES for its service area. These agreements give ACES exclusive rights to the service area so that no other garbage company can compete with ACES in that area.

In exchange for the exclusive agreement, the council or board of supervisors has the responsibility to approve or reject rate increases proposed by ACES. Because the county follows Proposition 218, ratepayers in county-controlled districts have the final say on rate increases and a majority protest will stop a rate increase. However, the cities have not followed Prop 218 in the past, so city councils have had the last say in garbage rate increases. Unfortunately, council members do not take the time to fully understand the justification for increases and usually (if not always) approve the rates ACES requests. Without the ability to protest a rate increase via Prop 218, city residents cannot stop a rate increase.

In May 2012, Sutter Creek residents successfully sued the city because they did not follow Prop 218 for garbage rate increases. Subsequently, Sutter Creek citizens protested an increase that would have totalled 41% over 4.5 years. RPA is hopeful that the other four cities in Amador County (Ione, Jackson, Plymouth and Amador City) will also follow Prop 218 when ACES requests future rate increases.