Wieliczka councilors decided to increase garbage collection fees. From Thursday, garbage trucks will start collecting garbage from residents again. A few days earlier, waste collection was suspended because officials were unable to communicate with the city council. The city was threatened by piles of waste on the streets and private properties.
The Wieliczka City Council almost unanimously decided on Wednesday during an extraordinary session to increase garbage collection fees from PLN 30 to PLN 40 per person. For residents, this is both bad and good news. Bad – because it will be more expensive. Good – because garbage trucks will come to collect their waste.
Earlier, on Saturday, municipal services stopped waste collection. Garbage trucks stopped reaching residents, and the selective waste collection point was closed because the city was running out of contracts with service providers, and signing new ones – explained vice-mayor Michał Roehlich in an interview with tvn24.pl – required adding money to the budget resolution. However, the councilors have not yet wanted to agree to this. Until now.
Selective Municipal Waste Collection Point (PSZOK) at ul. Jedynaka 30 in WieliczkaGoogle Maps
Mayor to residents: sometimes it's better, sometimes it's worse
– Thank you very much to the councilors, and thank you very much to the residents for these few days of patience. I know it wasn't the best time for us, but… Well, that's how it is in life. Sometimes it's better, sometimes it's worse, but we fasten the second gear, we move forward, in a moment I will sign the contract and from tomorrow our ZGK vehicles will go to the residents to collect garbage – the mayor of Wieliczka, Rafał Ślęczka, told journalists after the extraordinary session. The waste collection schedule is to be published on Thursday.
The resolution adopted on Wednesday means that residents will pay PLN 10 more for garbage collection than before.
Accusations of blackmail
Some Wieliczka councilors consider the suspension of waste collection to be a form of blackmail on the part of the city authorities.
– We very much regret that what happened was done by blackmail. This is not how you should work. What I mean is that the councilors voted against it, and therefore the commune stopped garbage collection. I cannot imagine that all decisions (…) would be made in such a way that councilors would be put against the wall if they did not agree with a given decision – said Wieliczka councilor Elżbieta Sendor from the Porozumienie Samorządowe club of councilors.
Wieliczka councilor on “blackmail” of the city authorities regarding garbageTVN24
Jakub Kostrz, the head of the Civic Coalition's councilors' club, commented in a similar way on the decision to suspend garbage collection in an interview with tvn24.pl. – The mayor's decision is irresponsible and is a form of pressure on councilors to agree to a pay raise – the councilor told us.
Michał Roehlich, however, explained that the office had to decide on such a step because “the companies said that they would not accept garbage trucks from the city and commune of Wieliczka because no contracts had been signed.” – In order to sign such a resolution, financial resources must be secured – the deputy mayor told us.
Main photo source: Shutterstock