WHITEHALL TWP., Pa. — A contentious discussion between the board of commissioners and residents Monday concluded with the board voting unanimously to approve a five-year, trash collection contract with J.P. Mascaro & Sons.
The township in October voted to change its municipal solid waste hauler from Waste Management.
The annual trash fee will increase from $335 to $615 — an 86.63% increase.
“I talked to the trash haulers about why costs have increased. Fuel, labor, tipping, equipment — it's all gone up.”Whitehall Mayor Joseph J. Marx Jr.
“I talked to the trash haulers about why costs have increased,” Whitehall Mayor Joseph J. Marx Jr. said. “Fuel, labor, tipping, equipment — it's all gone up.”
According to board member Jeffrey Warren, the township was contacted by Waste Management to notify that it wouldn’t be honoring the extension of the contract because to do so would cause the company to lose money.
The township subsequently put the trash collection contract out for bid. Five bids went out, but only two were received. Mascaro & Sons submitted the low bid.
Residents requiring a second garbage receptacle will pay an extra $130.
Trash installments
Resident Lori Ann Fehnel chastised the board for not rejecting the Mascaro trash fee.
She turned to the residents in attendance and said, “You all voted these people in, you can vote them out.”
The trash fee will be billed to each customer of the township’s Municipal Solid Waste/Recycling Collection program.
Customers will get a 2% discount for initially paying the fee in full.
Residents 72 years old and older will get a 25% discount.
“Prices have gone through the roof. You’re not paying the same as you did five years ago for gasoline. Nothing has gone down; it’s all going through the roof.Whitehall Township Commissioner Robert Piligian
In his budget proposal, Marx revealed Whitehall is not a growing community. Since countywide reassessment occurred in 2013, Whitehall, as of September, has lost $48 million in taxable assessed property, he said.
In South Whitehall Township, Mascaro charges an annual fee of $660 per residence.
“Prices have gone through the roof,” Commissioner Robert Piligian said. “You’re not paying the same as you did five years ago for gasoline. Nothing has gone down; it’s all going through the roof.
“I fought hard for installments. When the treasurer said that’s not going to happen, that stunned me.
“You’re not going to change the [trash fee increase] numbers or go to individual haulers.”
Trash installments
A lengthy, heated exchange took place between township Treasurer/Tax Collector Tina J. Koren and board members over trash fee installments.
Koren said she wasn’t aware the board had decided in October to give residents the option of paying the trash fee in installments, as was noted in the 2025 fiscal budget.
Koren said she has contacted the Berks County Intermediate Unit 14, the tax billing agency, which informed her its software program does not allow for installments.
“It was in the budget packet that all departments received. If you didn’t look through your budget, that’s on you.”Whitehall Deputy Mayor John Meyers
Deputy Mayor John Meyers told Koren she was aware of the installment plan during the budget hearing. Koren said she was not aware of the plan.
“It was in the budget packet that all departments received,” Meyers told Koren. “If you didn’t look through your budget, that’s on you.”
Added Snyder: “You walked out of the budget meeting early.”
Koren said she left the meeting early because of the way Snyder was speaking to her.
Residents now will have to wait until March or April to have the option of paying in three installments.
Board Secretary Randy Atiyeh said the miscommunication between the board and the tax office has foisted a burden on residents.
“Somebody dropped the ball on this,” Atiyeh said. “I’m going to find out what happened here.”
Board member Allie Scarfaro said she felt “uncomfortable” voting on the trash fee increase because of the miscommunication.
Fiscal budget approved
The $33.7 million township fiscal budget for 2025 was unanimously approved.
The budget has a $2.6 million increase from 2024, including a $2.1 million increase in trash collection.
The budget establishes the finances for the general fund, liquid fuels fund, debt service fund and capital reserve fund.
The increases in expenses for 2025 include, among other things, pension costs, township vehicle repairs, building maintenance costs because of the increased square footage requiring janitorial services and consulting services.
Also, a Teamsters’ contract wage increase of 4.25%, a non-union employees’ wage increase of 3.50%, a 5% wage increase for the 51-person Whitehall Police Officers’ Bargaining Unit and a $205,000 increase in Development Bureau operations, which includes blight remediation, comprehensive plan update and stormwater facilities inspections.
Commissioners Ken Snyder and Piligian complimented the board on its time and effort in arriving at the budget.
