Proposed Beverly Trash Fee Increase Spurs Fierce City Council Debate

BEVERLY, MA — A proposed increase in the Beverly trash fee from $100 per year to $425 drew nearly two hours of fierce City Council debate as Mayor Mike Cahill and Councilors discussed the impacts of the fee increase and what cuts would be necessary should it not pass a full Council vote.

Cahill proposed the increase to $425, with an option of $280 for a smaller trash container, as a means to make trash and recycling pay for itself in the city upon the beginning of a new $5.4 million annual contract — an increase of $1.5 million over what the city paid in 2025-26 under the expiring contract.

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Cahill held a series of ward meetings in recent weeks when he said that increasing the fee is necessary to avoid drastic cuts in city staff and services, as well as a way to put off going to voters for a Proposition 2 1/2 override.

But the Council members questioned the need to raise the fee $325 for most residents, arguing for lower fees, or eliminating the increase at all, instead making municipal budget cuts in their place.

Councilor Matthew St. Hilaire opposed any trash fee increase and, instead, rescinding authorization for the planned $30 million City Hall renovation that includes $2 million in debt spending in next year's budget.

"We should vote tonight and we should reject this," St. Hilaire said. "I would reject any increase in the trash fee whatsoever. I am not going to support that. So we might as well send (Mayor Cahill) that message now and let him adjust the city budget.

"With that, I offer some recommendations — cancel the City Hall project, eliminate the positions we've added over the last 12 years, eliminate the consultant line items, eliminate travel expenses, and salary increases (for municipal management positions). ... Let's sharpen the pencil. If we do that, we do not have to pass along trash fee increases."

In a sharp exchange, City Councilor Kathleen Feldman argued that weighing the City Hall project against the trash fees is a false choice because it compares a capital debt expense against money raised to offset operating costs.

"I know we are all smart enough up here to know that's how it works," Feldman said. "I find it very, very disingenuous to propose that we would use a debt to our city to plug a (budget) gap. I understand the optics of this are terrible. ... I am living in reality. The cost of everything for the past 10 years has gone up more than 3 to 5 percent across the board for your household, my household, for the city.

"This is an unsustainable revenue stream. ... There will be cuts. There have to be cuts."

City Councilor Todd Rotondo, in the subcommittee meeting, proposed a lower increase to $300 for a large trash bin and $210 for the smaller size.

Cahill said that the difference of $1.4 million would still likely come out of staff positions, with Budget Analyst Gerald Perry estimating the result being between 14 and 18 additional position cuts beyond what Cahill was set to propose in a budget that includes the full trash fee increase.

"I do not want to be putting forward a fee increase," Cahill said. "I believe that it was my charge based on a really strong, fair argument that could be had about whether a service like trash and recycling should be based on who uses what and should pay for itself."

City Council President Julie Flowers set a single-agenda-item Committee of the Whole meeting for Tuesday to further debate the trash fee increase, which will include public comments, before what would need to be the first of two Council votes on an ordinance change adjusting the fees.