Expert says it’s time to move trash collection to private contractors, but mayor says it’s not something they’re considering

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — For months, ABC13 has heard your complaints about traffic pickup delays.

This week, Houston leaders say they added more solid waste vehicles to help improve pickup times and efficiency.

READ MORE: Houston Solid Waste Management says it’s adding new trucks in aim to improve trash pickup

Rice University’s Baker Institute public policy fellow, Bill King, wrote an opinion piece for ABC13’s partners at the Houston Chronicle, stating that he believes it’s time to move trash collection to private contractors.

He says that for years, people have long complained about their trash collection, and his opinion is that we should let the private sector handle it. Houston Mayor John Whitmire told 13 Investigates in September it’s not something they’re considering right now.

The city’s solid waste department is slated to add 50 new solid waste vehicles by the end of the month, which they say will help improve efficiency across town.

King says the delays have been a constant problem for years. He says industrially speaking, it’s a small operation, and the city’s spread out in a wide geographic area.

“Whitmire is working on it hard, but it’s just proved to be an insoluble problem because the model doesn’t make any sense from an operational standpoint,” King said.

SEE ALSO: Residents say they’ve been cited for trash not picked up due to city of Houston delays

King says the city should provide a basic level of service and ask contractors to bid on the service.

“Operationally, it doesn’t make any sense to have this big spread-out city and try to have an operator cover the entire city like we do. And what you would probably end up doing if you contract this out is you would have different contractors in different parts of the city,” King said. “Nobody would put up with the city service if it wasn’t for free.”

Just last month, Whitmire told 13 Investigates they’re trying to fix the problems right now as a city department. The mayor says he has full confidence in the new solid waste director and says he believes the city’s on the right path, but that it may take time.

Solid Waste Management Department Director Larius Hassan sent ABC13 the following statement on Friday:

“The City of Houston has historically utilized private contractors to supplement solid waste heavy trash collection and to assist with storm debris removal after major weather events. Partnering with contractors allows the department to maintain reliable service during periods of high volume or equipment challenges. The department is in discussions with contractors to assist with a citywide heavy trash cleanup, which will help reset operations and support upcoming service improvement initiatives. The Solid Waste Management Department is also developing a program that will allow residents to schedule heavy trash pickups and is prioritizing the resolution of outstanding 311 service requests.”

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