Riverside County supervisors have scheduled a crucial public hearing for July 1st to address a significant financial shortfall: over $4 million in unpaid trash collection fees from nearly 7,000 residents in the county’s unincorporated areas. The board will decide whether to add these delinquent amounts, ranging from $150 to more than $10,000 per household for 2024 waste services, directly to property tax bills.
County officials emphasize that these assessments are a necessary measure to ensure the continued provision of essential sanitation services throughout the region. “The regular removal of solid waste from residential properties is a basic sanitation practice that protects both the environment and the public,” stated Environmental Health Director Jeff Johnson in a report to the board. “The mandatory collection of solid waste and the payment for the collection is critical.”
However, the proposal is likely to face pushback from affected residents. Some homeowners argue that they have independently managed their waste disposal and should not be billed for county services. Others contend that they were never properly billed for the services in the first place, leading to unexpected and substantial arrears.
To incentivize timely payment and mitigate further administrative burden, the county is offering an incentive: residents who settle their outstanding balances in full by July 25th will avoid an additional $82 per-parcel administrative fee, which is intended to cover the costs associated with public noticing and county staff time involved in the assessment process.
The July 1st public hearing will provide an opportunity for residents to voice their concerns and present their cases to the Board of Supervisors before a final decision is made on the proposed property tax assessments. This move highlights the ongoing challenges local governments face in recovering service costs and ensuring compliance with public health mandates.
