RIVERSIDE COUNTY, CA — The Board of Supervisors Tuesday scheduled a July 1 public hearing to consider whether to impose special assessments totaling $4.16 million on thousands of Riverside County residents’ property tax bills to collect unpaid trash collection debts.
According to the Department of Environmental Health, 6,955 residents in unincorporated communities owe the county’s four waste haulers for rubbish pickup and disposal services in 2024.
Amounts in arrears range from a low of $150 to a high of $10,300 per customer, according to the proposed special assessment roll.
Environmental Health Director Jeff Johnson requested the public hearing for the board to approve the assessments, which would be tacked onto delinquent payers’ annual property tax obligations.
In a statement posted to the board’s agenda, the environmental health director noted that “regular removal of solid waste from residential properties is a basic sanitation practice that protects both the environment and the public.”
“The mandatory collection of solid waste and the payment for the collection is critical,” he said.
The hearing will serve as an opportunity for ratepayers to argue before the board their cases against assessments, offering specifics about mitigating circumstances, including how their finances have been impacted in the last year by inflation and other factors, to the extent that they have not been able to meet some obligations.
In the past, petitioners have presented appeals to the board based on the fact they oversee their own waste disposal and shouldn’t be on the hook for the waste haulers’ costs. Sometimes, properties are also under lease, and the owners aren’t responsible for paying trash disposal charges.
Former Supervisor Kevin Jeffries often pointed out instances in which haulers were charging for services never rendered, failing to regularly pick up garbage but still charging as if they had been.
If the board authorizes the special assessments after the hearing is closed, an additional $82-per-parcel charge would be applied to delinquent bills to cover the cost of public noticing and county staff time.
Officials said residents will be able to avoid the supplemental charge by paying their bills in full on or before July 25.
