BEDFORD, Va. – Starting October 1, the Town of Bedford will stop collecting trash for more than 190 businesses, forcing owners to arrange their own pickup services.
The decision has been in the works since a March council meeting. Right now, the town of Bedford collects trash from both homes and businesses. But after October 1, only residents will keep that service.
“I was addressed with an alternative as why didn’t I just bring the trash home with me and then just take the trash out with my trash from home,” Patti Wilkerson, the owner of Fredrick’s Flowers, said in amusement. “I said, no, I’m not going to do that. I have enough trash at home.”
Bart Warner, Town Manager, says the shift is tied to long-term budget plans.
“This relates to a larger budget issue, specifically the loss of some revenue associated with the reversion process,” Warner said. “The town currently receives $750,000 a year as part of that settlement. That money goes away in 2028.”
The settlement Warner refers to dates to 2013, when the City of Bedford reverted to town status through an agreement with Bedford County. As part of that reversion process, the Commonwealth of Virginia provided financial incentives, with Bedford receiving $750,000 annually for 15 years. That funding is set to expire in 2028.
In anticipation of the loss, Warner says the town is taking early steps to adjust its budget, including reallocating the remaining funds toward capital needs. Part of the town’s broader strategy also includes increasing revenue through business taxes and reducing expenses, such as ending commercial trash pickup.
Still, another business owner in town, who wished to remain anonymous, described the upcoming change as “just another headache on their plate”.
“We do apologize for the aggravation,” Warner said. “We understand this change causes extra effort for our businesses, and we do want to let folks know that we are also sharing in that. We are not exempt from this either.”
Warner says to help ease the transition, the town sent a letter to affected businesses listing private haulers that operate in the area. While the town isn’t endorsing any specific company, he says some owners may find lower rates than the town’s current fees.
“We know there are at least four private commercial vendors that they can contact directly,” Warner said. “We do have the contact information for those folks if people need it. We do think the private alternatives are actually cheaper. We will not be providing alternatives such as convenience centers or collective trash collection.”
“I was aggravated initially because I didn’t know at the time that they were going to give us some suggestions of places to call and others who would help with the trash collection,” Wilkerson said. “But once I realized they were giving us suggestions, then I was okay with it. Actually, we were paying $33 before, and we’ll only be paying $25 now. So, I will be saving money.”
The trade-off for Wilkerson, however, is that her new trash pickup service will come once a week instead of twice, and the $25 covers just one trash can. The private company told 10 News two cans would cost $35 a month, still close to the town’s current $33 fee.
Warner says the change is to protect Bedford’s long-term financial health.
“If the town took no action at all, we do have reserves that are available we could use to function but that’s probably for a limited number of years. 5 to 10 years and we didn’t think that was a responsible approach.”