By ROBERT LINNEHAN
Cherry Hill is set to save more than $2 million in its trash collection services. Cherry Hill, Gloucester Township and the borough of Merchantville banded together, sought a new trash collection contract and signed a five-year deal in late December.
Mayor Bernie Platt, joined Mayor David Mayer of Gloucester and a Merchantville representative, announced that the five-year contract will save money for each municipality involved. The contract will provide for the same trash collection service Cherry Hill has enjoyed in past years, Platt said, while saving the township almost $500,000 per year.
The total contract is $28.6 million with Republic Services. The contract began in January.
Platt said the savings would likely equate to a several-cent tax rate decrease for residents over the next few years.
“By harnessing our collective purchasing power, we were able to realize a substantial savings over the course of this new contract. This is a tremendous victory for shared services. It is a victory for our towns, and most importantly for our taxpayers,” Platt said.
Gloucester Township will save more than $647,000, and Merchantville will cut costs by more than $103,000 over the life of the contract. The Cherry Hill Fire District and the school district are also included in the contract.
Platt stressed that trash collection will still be the same for residents of Cherry Hill.
In the past, Merchantville had a Department of Public Works that consisted of eight employees — including one supervisor — that handled trash collection in the borough. Councilman Joe Brickley said there will likely be several layoffs in the department resulting from the contract, but didn’t know how many employees would be terminated.
Mayer said municipalities throughout the state should look at this agreement as a model for shared services.
“It’s an absolute necessity,” Mayer said in regard to municipalities banding together for shared services. “It’s the reality of life today.”
When asked of a plan floated by state Sen. Stephen Sweeney (D-3) that would cut state funding to municipalities that didn’t participate in shared services, Mayer applauded Sweeney for his dedication to shared services. Towns should be participating in shared services, he said, but it would be difficult to base state aid on shared service participation.
It’s not an easy thing to measure, Mayer said.
Platt said municipal leaders shouldn’t have to be threatened with loss of state aid to look for shared services.
“Elected officials are doing a disservice to their taxpayers if they don’t look at the possibilities of shared services,” he said.
