RIVERSIDE (CNS) - The Board of Supervisors today will consider whether
to impose special assessments totaling $4.16 million on thousands of
Riverside County property owners' tax bills to collect unpaid trash collection
debts.

According to the Department of Environmental Health, 6,955 residents
in unincorporated communities owe the county's four waste haulers for rubbish
pickup and disposal services in 2024.

Amounts in arrears range from a low of $150 to a high of $10,300 per
customer, according to the proposed special assessment roll.

Environmental Health Director Jeff Johnson requested the public
hearing for the board to approve the assessments, which would be tacked onto
delinquent payers' annual property tax obligations.

The environmental health director noted that ``regular removal of
solid waste from residential properties is a basic sanitation practice that
protects both the environment and the public.''

``The mandatory collection of solid waste and the payment for the
collection is critical,'' he said.

The hearing will serve as an opportunity for rate payers to argue
their cases against assessments, offering specifics about mitigating
circumstances, including how their finances have been impacted in the last year
by inflation and other factors, to the extent that they have not been able to
meet some obligations.

In the past, petitioners have presented appeals to the board based on
the fact that they oversee their own waste disposal and shouldn't be on the
hook for the waste haulers' costs. Sometimes, properties are also under lease,
and the owners aren't responsible for paying trash disposal charges.

Former Supervisor Kevin Jeffries often pointed out instances in which
haulers were charging for services never rendered, failing to regularly pick up
garbage but still charging as if they had been.

If the board authorizes the special assessments after the hearing is
closed, an additional $82-per-parcel charge would be applied to delinquent
bills to cover the cost of public noticing and county staff time.

Officials said residents can avoid the supplemental charge by paying
their bills in full on or before July 25.

Supervisors to Consider Placing Liens on Delinquent Bill Payers