A monthly fee to fund expanded community cleanup and beautification efforts in the city will be applied to City utility customers beginning in the March billing cycle.
The fee, which was approved by City Council in December 2015, will be $1 per month for residential utility customers and $5 for business utility customers. City staff members estimate the fee will raise $375,000 during fiscal year 2016, which began Oct. 1, 2015, and will generate $500,000 per year in following years.
“This is a new funding source to enhance community pride that will service many areas of San Marcos—neighborhoods, parks and river, surface streets and medians, highway corridors, and downtown,” said Mayor Daniel Guerrero. “The clean community fee supports the City Councils’ goal to beautify and enhance the quality of place for San Marcos.”
The money raised by the fee will be used to fund recurring community enhancement and beautification activities as well as one-time programs which include:
Matching fund program for Dumpster enclosures—the City will match up to 50 percent of the cost to bring Dumpster enclosures up to code.
Mowing and trash pick-up—increases the number of trash pick-ups and mowing along IH-35 and city right-of-ways, as well as in parks and other City common areas.
One-time programs such as landscaping the median on Craddock Avenue and purchases of a new street sweeper for Downtown, additional recycling and trash containers for parks, and supplies and equipment for a neighborhood beautification trailer.
Several other cities throughout the country, including Austin and Fort Worth, have adopted similar fees to help fund community enhancement and beautification projects and have experienced great success.
For more information about the fee and the programs it will fund, contact Solid Waste Program Coordinator Amy Kirwin at 512.393.8407 or akirwin@sanmarcostx.gov.