Oakdale sets special election for council vacancy, and grudgingly hikes garbage bills
Oakdale residents will pay sharply higher garbage bills as of Jan. 1 and vote on June 7 to fill a City Council vacancy.
The council voted on both matters Monday night. It was the last meeting for member Ericka Chiara, who announced in October that she would resign as of Dec. 10.
Chiara joined the council by appointment in 2018 and was elected to a full term in 2020. She has not commented publicly on why she is leaving, other than to say in October that “new things and new horizons are in store for me and my family.”
Normally, the remaining council members could appoint someone to serve out Chiara’s term through 2024. That would save the cost of a special election and get the council back to full strength quickly.
But state law bars a city from having a majority of appointed rather than elected members. Mayor Cherilyn Bairos was appointed in January following the resignation of J.R. McCarty, moving up from a council seat. Curtis Haney was appointed to Bairos’ former seat in February.
The council unanimously decided on the June 7 vote because it will be combined with many statewide and local races.
Oakdale will pay an estimated $27,000 to have the Stanislaus County Clerk-Recorder’s Office add the council race to the ballot, City Manager Bryan Whitemyer said Monday. A standalone election earlier in the spring would cost the city about $107,000, he said.
Oakdale leaders also noted that voter turnout will likely be much higher June 7.
Candidates can start filing Feb. 14 for the June election. Oakdale does not have council districts, so any registered voter can run for Chiara’s seat.
Diverting organics from landfills
The council voted 4-1 on garbage rate increases aimed at carrying out a state mandate to keep organic waste from landfills. At least 75% must be diverted by 2025 as part of the effort to reduce climate-changing methane emissions.
Gilton Solid Waste Management will add $10.72 for organic waste handling to the current monthly fees of $19.73 for a smaller main can or $24.93 for a larger one. The company could petition for further increases over the seven-year contract.
The council could not approve the hikes if a majority of the affected residents filed protests, as required by state Proposition 218. Only 531 objections were received by mail or in person out of the 8,670 notices sent out.
Gilton has ‘no choice’
Several residents said from the podium that the higher rates would burden households with tight budgets. City officials and a Gilton representative said they were required to carry out the mandate anyway.
“We would rather not be here, but the state has given us no choice,” said Tracy Norris, who manages corporate communications for Gilton.
The mandate mainly means expansion of the composting that Gilton and others already do with yard trimmings, food scraps, paper and other organic waste.
Bairos, Chiara, Haney and Councilman Fred Smith voted for the increase. Christopher Smith dissented because he did not have enough information about Gilton’s profit margin over the contract term.
City councils in Ceres and Hughson already have approved large garbage rate increases to meet the mandate. The county Board of Supervisors will hold a Dec. 14 hearing for trash customers outside city limits.
Waterford will follow with a Jan. 6 hearing. Modesto, Turlock, Riverbank and Newman still are studying how much bills will rise. Information on Patterson was not available.
