Shreveport residents could soon be looking at higher fees for garbage collection. But don't expect any changes this year. It is an election year, after all.
What Is the History of the Garbage Fee in Shreveport
For years, garbage collection was free in Shreveport. It was part of the services provided by the city. But that changed back in 2010. That's when the Shreveport City Council approved a temporary $2.50 monthly fee on residential water bills to address short-term general fund deficits. The council reversed the fee in February 2011 after heavy criticism from residents.
A $2.50 recycling fee was put in place in 2011, but it was discontinued in 2020 when Shreveport officially suspended curbside recycling in October 2020.
But the sanitation department continued to operate with very limited funding. In 2016, Mayor Ollie Tyler proposed a $12 monthly sanitation fee with the hopes of making this a self-sustaining enterprise fund. But residents were not happy about this proposal. Many called it a tax increase without voter approval. The Mayor ultimately withdrew her proposal.
When Was the Current Fee Implemented
Things got really tight in early 2019 under Mayor Adrian Perkins. He proposed an $18 monthly fee to offset some deep cuts that would impact city services. The battle over this proposal went on for several weeks and the council finally settled on a $7 monthly fee. That was put in place in the summer of 2019. The sanitation fee is now included on your water bill.
What Do Residents in Other Cities Pay for Garbage Pickup?
KEEL News did a check of what other cities charge and found some interesting numbers.
Baton Rouge: $35.23 / month (Billed on East Baton Rouge Parish municipal utility statements; reduced rates of $30.73 available for qualifying low-income households).
New Orleans: $24.00 / month (Billed directly on the Sewerage and Water Board of New Orleans utility statement; reduced rates of $10.00 available for qualifying seniors/low-income residents).
Lafayette: $32.91 / month (Standard residential rate inside Lafayette city limits; unincorporated areas of Lafayette Parish pay $29.75).
Alexandria: $21.25 / month (Billed via City of Alexandria Utility Systems; 50% discount for qualifying seniors 65+ and disabled residents).
Bossier City: $24.00 / month (Includes a $16.00 collection fee plus an $8.00 public service fee on the city utility bill).
Minden: $17.50 / month (Billed on the city municipal utility statement).
Mansfield: $10.00 / month (City-provided curbside service).
Natchitoches: $22.70 / month (Provided via contract with Waste Connections and billed on city utility statements; includes back-door cart pickup service).
Monroe: Tax-Funded / Billed on City Utility (Solid waste collection is provided via city sanitation/contracted haulers and typically rolled into municipal utility billing or property tax allocations depending on customer classification).
Lake Charles: $0.00 Direct Monthly Fee (Inside City Limits) (Curbside garbage and trash collection within city limits is paid for directly through dedicated local sales tax revenues rather than a separate monthly utility charge; surrounding unincorporated Calcasieu Parish areas pay ~$20/month).
I don't expect the city council to approve a fee increase this year, but I would not be surprised if this happens early in 2027.
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