Phoenix’s April 22 trash-fee vote could raise the standard residential city trash bill from $37.32 to $43.32 this summer

Phoenix residents are in a short decision window on trash costs. The City Council is set to consider a residential solid-waste fee increase on or after April 22, 2026. If approved, the standard monthly trash charge would rise from $37.32 to $43.32 on July 1, 2026.

The proposal is not final yet. But the city posted its formal public notice effective April 6, 2026, moving the issue from a budget discussion into a scheduled council action with a specific date and price tag for households.

What would change

Under the city’s proposal, the standard residential solid-waste fee would increase by $6 this summer, then by another $6 in July 2027 and $5 in July 2028. That would put the standard monthly charge at $49.32 in 2027 and $54.32 in 2028. City materials also outline possible annual inflation-based adjustments after that, subject to council review.

This change applies to the solid-waste portion of a city services bill, not to water and sewer charges as a whole.

Why Phoenix says it needs the increase

According to the Public Works Department, Phoenix’s solid-waste system runs as an enterprise fund, meaning it is supposed to pay for itself rather than rely on the city’s general fund. A city memo says about 86% of the division’s revenue comes from monthly residential fees.

City documents say the math no longer works at the current rate. Since 2020, staff costs have risen about 32%, vehicle and equipment costs about 52%, and critical infrastructure costs about 40%. Phoenix says the solid-waste fund is headed for a shortfall of up to $20.8 million this fiscal year and could be drawn close to zero by fiscal 2027-28 without action.

The city says that if the increase does not pass, service reductions would likely follow. Phoenix’s own memo does not set a final cut list. AZFamily reported that officials identified bulk trash, recycling and illegal-dumping support as optional services that could be on the table.

What residents are paying for now

The monthly fee covers more than curbside trash pickup. The city says it supports weekly garbage and recycling collection, transfer-station drop-offs, four bulk-trash pickups each year, illegal-dumping and CARES cleanup support, household hazardous-waste collection and drop-off events, dead-animal pickup, moving-box collection and seasonal Christmas tree drop-off.

That matters for residents because this is not just a bill story. It is also a service-level story. If the fund stays underwater, the pressure would fall on programs many households use a few times a year but rely on when they need them.

What happens next

Residents still have a narrow window to weigh in before the vote. The city’s 2026 community budget hearings run through April 16, including a communitywide hybrid hearing on April 16 at City Council Chambers.

For households worried about affordability, the city says Project Assist can help qualifying customers with city service bills. Phoenix also says residents who switch from the standard 90-gallon refuse container to a 60-gallon container can cut the monthly trash rate by $3, as long as they are enrolled in the city’s recycling program.

The key date now is April 22, 2026. If council approves the plan, the first increase would take effect on July 1, 2026.

Sources

• City of Phoenix public notice on tax and fee changes
• Phoenix 2026 proposed solid waste rate adjustment page
• Phoenix Solid Waste Financial Status and Rate Update memo
• City of Phoenix 2026 community budget hearings notice
• AZFamily report on Phoenix trash-rate increase
• Arizona PBS report on Phoenix trash-fee proposal

Look for updates to this story

Related News

• O’Fallon Sets 2026 Public-Works Procurement Milestones
• Sacramento’s red-light camera plan moves toward a fall vendor decision
• Raleigh Police Summer Action Plan Gets Midyear Checkpoint as Safety Questions Continue
• Minneapolis mayor proposes 11.3% property-tax levy hike and about 100 job cuts