PORTAGE, MI - Portage residents voted to keep the city's single-hauler trash system after rejecting an amendment that would have restored resident choice in waste collection services.
The ordinance amendment failed on Tuesday with 6,649 voting no and 5,381 voting yes according to unofficial election results. The original change to use just one waste hauler instead of three competing companies took effect at the start of March.
A citizen group opposed the change enacted by the Portage City Council. The council approved the single-hauler ordinance in January 2025 with the goal of streamlining trash operations. The change lowered trash bills for the city.
Some residents were upset because they felt they lost the opportunity to choose their own waste hauler. The original ordinance required registration of providers who collect and dispose of garbage. It also required publication of a provider's fee schedule. The ordinance prevented the City of Portage from entering into an exclusive contract with any single waste company.
The amendment would have allowed residents to select which provider to use for collection services. The vote represents a decision to maintain the current single-hauler system that has been in place since March.
Portage residents have decided to keep the city's single-hauler trash system. The ordinance amendment failed to be approved on the ballot Tuesday, with 6,649 voting no and 5,381 voting yes.
The city had previously lowered trash bills for the city through the single-hauler arrangement. The current system does not give residents the option to choose their own waste hauler.