Alto council unanimously approves $1.22 townwide garbage-fee increase

Alto’s council unanimously approved a $1.22 increase in garbage fees across the board at its Feb. 10, 2026 meeting, adopting the change as a measure to cover costs. Councilman James Turner seconded the motion, and the minutes say every council member approved it.

For residents and businesses served under the town’s garbage fee structure, the decision means a higher recurring charge tied to a basic municipal service. The council identified cost coverage as the purpose, making the action a direct response to the expense of providing garbage service rather than a proposed policy still awaiting a vote.

The supplied account of the matter begins with the Feb. 10 council action itself: a motion to raise garbage fees by $1.22 across the board was made, seconded by Turner and approved by all members. The minutes characterize the increase as intended to cover costs, linking the stated financial need to the council’s unanimous decision.

The council’s recorded position was unanimous support for the increase. Its stated rationale was cost coverage. The minutes identify Turner as the member who seconded the motion, but they do not provide individual comments from council members, a public-opposition position, or a detailed breakdown of the costs the increase is meant to address.

The increase has been approved, not merely proposed, according to the council minutes. Still unknown are the new total garbage fee, the date the higher charge takes effect and whether any later council action will clarify, amend or implement the decision. The record also does not detail how the $1.22 amount was calculated.

The next public development will be a later town record showing when the approved increase is implemented or whether it is changed. Until then, Alto residents know the council authorized a $1.22 across-the-board increase, but not the final total they will be billed or the first billing date affected.