Bellingham Delays Trash Rate Vote, Pushes Decision to July 6 Meeting

BELLINGHAM — June 22, 2026 — Bellingham Select Board delays trash rate vote, cites $2.5 million fund deficit. The board postponed action Monday on two consultant-recommended rate-increase scenarios for the town's solid-waste enterprise fund, continuing the discussion to its July 6 meeting after a member flagged that an absent colleague had substantive questions. The fund's first rate study since 2019 projects a deficit of nearly $2.5 million without changes; Option 1 calls for a 12.5 percent increase in fiscal year 2027 followed by five years of 5 percent annual hikes, raising the standard single-family bill by just over $13, while Option 2 proposes a flat 7.5 percent increase over five years at just over $7 for single-family households. Members asked staff to model modest increases to ancillary fees — trash bags are currently $20 for five, generating roughly $15,000 per year — and to close a multi-unit billing discount that affects about 68 accounts. Staff confirmed that first-quarter fiscal year 2027 bills do not go out until mid-July, leaving room for a July 6 decision without disrupting the billing cycle.