LOWNDES COUNTY, GA — Valdosta launched a new itemized sanitation billing system on July 1st, bringing new fees and new technology to the city's garbage collection program.
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Residents can now be charged $8 a month for each additional city-issued garbage can. A $15 fee applies if sanitation crews must make a second trip because a container was not collected — including when trash overflows and the lid will not fully close.
The city is also installing cameras on every garbage truck and equipping sanitation crews with tablets to verify how many cans belong at each address.
Valdosta resident Melinee Calhoun said her concern goes beyond the added fees.
"When I think about my community—low-income communities—this creates an undue financial burden. Plus, it's hot as hell. Leaving trash on the curb stinks up the whole neighborhood."
Calhoun said her own trash was left behind after the Fourth of July holiday because the lid would not completely close. She believes requiring another truck to return later creates more unnecessary costs.
"If the trash is in the can, even if the lid does not close, it is idiotic... it's a waste of resources because you could have picked it up the first time instead of sending another truck back."
Public Works Director Larry Ogden said the new policy is designed to keep routes moving efficiently across the city.
"If you have your 96-gallon can filled and you have four or five bags outside of that can, we're going to encourage you to get an additional can. That slows us down because we have to make it through the entire city in one week."
City leaders said the cameras, tablets, and itemized billing are all part of creating a more consistent sanitation system as Valdosta continues to grow.
Residents with questions about their sanitation service, billing, or collection schedule should contact the city's Public Works Department before their next pickup day.
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