Hinds County supervisors avoid trash 'fiasco' like Jackson, agree to new trash deal

Charlie Drape, Mississippi Clarion Ledger
Updated ·2 min read
The Hinds County Board of Supervisors reached a five-year deal with Waste Management to continue garbage collection.
The Hinds County Board of Supervisors reached a five-year deal with Waste Management to continue garbage collection.
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Hinds County residents won't have to worry about getting their garbage collected.

With the contract expiring Friday at midnight, the Hinds County Board of Supervisors was able to negotiate a new deal with Waste Management. The new contract will be in place for five years.

Hinds County District 3 Supervisor Credell Calhoun said the Board was trying to avoid a "fiasco" like what happened in the City of Jackson back in April. Jackson residents saw their trash pile up for nearly two weeks while the City Council and Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba were at odds over contract negotiations.

"The people of Hinds County, they're going to have to pay for it, but it's going to be picked up," Calhoun said.

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One change in the new contract is that residents of Hinds County will now have to pay $16 instead of $11 for garbage collection. When asked if there was any concern that residents wouldn't be happy with the raised rates, Calhoun blamed the price increase on "inflation and COVID and all the things that has happened in the last five years."

"I think it's a pretty good price, it could have possibly been a little bit lower. But it's about what it takes to pick it up, dump it and make a little profit," Calhoun said. "They (Waste Management) are saying that's the bottom line that they can do it for with the inflation prices you have now."

The Board considered another bidder for the contract, but that company wasn't going to be able to start garbage collection for two to three Months, Calhoun said. Waste Management could start trash collection Monday, so they were the the obvious choice.

"You got to pick it up Monday, so you're not a real bidder if you can't start then," Calhoun said.

Calhoun said he expects all of the supervisors to vote in favor of the contract at their next board meeting Monday, July 3.

This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Hinds County supervisors reach new deal on garbage collection