I hate mowing. I hate hauling bits of Zombie Maple to the curb. I hate even more having to wait until our once-a-year Big Trash Day (oh the travails of living in a suburb with reduced services).
I discovered that our little city has a surplus of funds. A rather large surplus since they raised our sales tax, ad valorem taxes, and property taxes.
Our trash bids come up for renewal in even numbered years in June. I figured it was now or never.
I talked to several of the bidders for the trash service and asked how much more it would cost to have quarterly Big Trash Days and curbside recycling. Turns out, they could do the Big Trash Days at no additional expense sine they were considering increasing our trash pick-ups to twice a week, but the curbside recycling was expensive - it would up our household trash bill by $30 a month. Since we had centralized recycling, I let that drop. Still have to save money where I can, and with a brand new cell phone bill, I couldn't afford an increase in the trash bill. I'd have to give up the internet, that's my last cuttable expense.
But we didn't need twice a week pick up as much as we needed additional Big Trash Days. Giving up something we didn't have (twice weekly pick up) for something we needed (quarterly Big Trash Days) was something I could petition our City COuncil about.
So, I took my hatred of heavy yard work to the City Council and strongly petitioned for an additional Big Trash Day - OR to release the trash contract (which was up for renewal and bids) and let the larger city take over our trash needs in the same way it provided all of our other utilities.
That would give us monthly Big Trash Days, recycling at the curb, and two trash pick ups a week! For the same price we residents were currently paying.
I pled for the maximum in the hopes of getting quarterly Big Trash Days. I could live with quarterly Big Trash Days. The Zombie Maple was getting smaller and smaller. There were only 2 large trunks left to drop and then I could take that tree out the rest of the way with my trusty little chainsaw (that now has a shiny new chain!).
And we got it! The city decided we could indeed have quarterly Big Trash Days, and had that written into the trash bids.
The bids came in 2 weeks ago and the new contract was announced yesterday - once a week trash pick up and quarterly Big Trash Days with no increase in our trash bill!
Now, I have to scurry and get the Zombie Maple droppings chopped up before the July 25th Big Trash Day.
This is so exciting!
Ummmm - yeah, about that. I live a very boring life if Big Trash Day is so exciting.