By Stephen Dawkins

Jemison’s city council voted at its meeting Monday to raise the rate for collecting garbage by $1 per week per stop.

Mayor Eddie Reed said the increase was necessary because the state continues to increase how much it charges municipalities to dispose of garbage.

“We absorbed the first year of it, didn’t pass it on,” Reed said. “We don’t like to do that in these difficult times, but our responsibility is to=o see that the city of Jemison is not losing money. We have no choice.”

Reed said the city lost about $36,000 last year in garbage collection and disposal.

Cities without their own landfill pay the state to dispose of garbage, and the state charges a rate per ton of trash. The state’s rate has gone up partly because of increased fuel costs, Reed said.
“It has become an expensive operation,” he said.

The council, at a regular meeting, took other actions regarding revenue.

Bids for two pieces of equipment were approved. A Land Pride side cutter will be sold for $2,750, and a John Deere tractor will be sold for $1,000.

Only one bid was received for the tractor, and the bid for the cutter was the highest of three.

The council also changed the way city merchants will pay for licenses to sell alcohol.

Jemison was charging a percentage of annual revenue from alcohol sales, but, after Monday’s vote, businesses will pay a flat rate of $2,000 per year.

Reed said the change was meant to bring Jemison more in line with local municipalities.

“We’re trying to do what’s fair to our merchants,” he said.

The council also adjusted the water bill for Guadalupe Marin and W.C. Burnett; looked over a report from Fire and Rescue Chief John Dennis; passed a motion to install streetlights at the intersection of Church and Forest streets, on Darryl Street and at the entrance of Royal Oaks subdivision; and paid the bills.