Op-ed: Changes to recycling program not city鈥檚 choice
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The recent decision from the Wood County Circuit Court related to recycling presents some interesting challenges for the City of Parkersburg, for me as mayor and for the City Councilors alike.
This effort was initiated by a single resident, Walt Auvil; the ruling invalidates the local ordinance and pricing structure, which simply allowed for those residents who voluntarily chose to participate in the recycling of curbside materials to be charged a nominal additional fee for said service, a premise and construct that most of the City Council and I felt reasonable and fundamentally fair.
Many unfunded mandates are pushed upon local governments by state and federal agencies alike. This particular unfunded mandate was never enforced since its inception over 30 years ago. Only now with a conservative mayor and mostly conservative council did this particular mandate become an issue, and Parkersburg will be the first city compelled to establish incentives and penalties for every person, partnership, corporation or entity who fails to recycle at least three recyclable materials every month.
As we face rising costs across all sectors, I want to be clear that the City of Parkersburg and the mayor crafted and implemented a plan designed to keep costs down, encourage recycling participation and preserve our residents鈥� personal freedom and purchasing choices. This ruling invalidates that plan and makes all parties pay equally regardless of their choice to recycle or not.
The long-term remedy for this unfair extraction of wealth is for the West Virginia Legislature to amend the code in a manner that allows residents a choice as to whether or not they participate and pay for recycling and gives residents their freedom to spend their money on goods and services for their own benefit, not for the satisfaction of a law that has never before been fully enforced.
Tom Joyce is the mayor of Parkersburg.