Council rejects solid waste rate increase, approve re-zonings by The Westfield School 

PERRY — With rising costs from their solid waste provider slated to be in effect next month, the Perry City Council was presented with a rate increase in Tuesday’s meeting. 

The proposed rate would increase .65 cents for one trash can and will increase .40 cents for residents who have an additional one. This increase would give the city $65-70 thousand in added revenue for FY27. 

Councilmembers Dan Peterson, Amy Fouse and Jim Moody spoke against the fee increase. Peterson said the increase was already known to the council during the FY27 budget process. He said in the budget there were no millage or rate increases. 

“The city is required to pay more than the revenue that was coming in from the rates,” he said. “We did promise to not increase those rates or the millage rate, so I feel that it is important that we maintain that.” 

Fouse said the solid waste fund has been in a deficit for years and said staff would need to figure out a solution rather than having residents pay for another increase. In a Facebook post, Fouse said she does support having sustainable services, but the first solution should not be a rate increase. 

“This is something we have to get a hold of and break the cycle,” Moody said. 

Councilman Willie King spoke in favor of the rate increase. He said with prices continuing to go up, the city needs to accommodate. 

“I know we all don’t think alike, but the amazing thing is that we want to make sure the city keeps going forward,” he said. “We make promises and make an agreement with our budget, but when prices go up things start changing, we have to change for the occasion, so we can get things done at the time we can get them done.” 

Council voted 4-2 to decline the proposed rate increase. King and Councilman Darryl Albritton voted in favor. 

The Westfield School may be looking at expanding after the council approved a few rezonings around the campus. 

The areas include a property on Hicks Drive the school had acquired previously and the address of The Westfield School itself. Council also did a first reading of the third re-zoning which is located on Greenwood Drive. 

Scott Free of Coldwell Banker represents the school on their Buildings and Grounds Committee. He said that he saw on social media where people thought Westfield was going to sell which is not true. He said these rezonings are for the future of the school. 

Each rezoning near The Westfield School was approved to be zoned to C-2 (commercial). Free said C-2  zoning would be best for the school. 

“That [zoning] would allow for administrative buildings, football and baseball fields, parking or anything that can be associated with a school building,” he said. 

Council approved these re-zonings unanimously. Councilman Robert Jones recused himself from voting due to The Westfield School being his place of employment.