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Feedback: Price Of Watertown Garbage Stickers Going Up

Story Published: Jun 27, 2012 at 5:51 PM EDT

Story Updated: Jun 27, 2012 at 7:31 PM EDT

Beginning next week, the price of Watertown garbage stickers will jump from $2.50 to $3 each.

The city says it needed to make the change.

"The big thing is personnel costs, the cost of pensions and retirements and obviously wages have increased a certain percentage over the past 13 years," said Elliot Nelson, assistant to the city manager .

Nelson says it's time for an increase.

The price for the city to pick up a bag of trash has been at $2.50 since the program was started in 1999.

But it isn't only the price of bag stickers that's going up. 

All tote prices are increasing too. 

The price for emptying 96 gallon tote will go from $6 to $7.

These increases may be good for private trash haulers.

Larry Wenk Trash Hauling is hoping to take advantage of the city's increases

"The way the economy is right now, saving a quarter on a trash bag is a big deal," said Larry Wenk.

Wenk is keeping his price per bag at $2.50 for now, though he says he may go up 25 cents to 2.75.

He doesn't anticipate going higher than that and he hopes the price and his service may pull in new customers.

"Sometimes people like the personal touch - doesn't matter whether it's picking up garbage bags or going to the doctors," said Wenk.

When the cost of the sticker changes, the design will not.

That means you can buy as many as you want at $2.50 and they'll still be good come Monday.

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Thursday, May 23, 2013
, Watertown, NY

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