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Politics and Government News
Nancy Lebens and Nina Moini
St. Paul

Majority of voters support current St. Paul trash collection

A man looks at his phone.
Demi Miller of St. Paul looks on his phone as he watches for election results at a Vote No watch party at Plums Neighborhood Bar and Grill.
Christine T. Ngyuen | MPR News

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Updated: Wednesday, 1:00 a.m.

St. Paul will continue to run garbage collection as is after voters supported the current ordinance. Preliminary results show the yes vote won with 63 percent to the no vote’s 37 percent.

Chair of the Yes for St. Paul committee Javier Morillo said even though the ordinance is favored by voters, the city still can improve the trash collection system.

"I think that our city is stronger because of the conversation that happened because you know city government, often things happen without,” he said.

A number of residents fought to challenge the city-run system, gathering signatures for a referendum and then battling St. Paul elected officials in court.

The year-old system distributes haulers around the city instead of residents arranging garbage pickup on their own. The city has a multi-year contract with a group of trash collectors. Mayor Melvin Carter said the cost of paying off the contract would have resulted in a larger property tax increase.

Patty Hartmann, an attorney, said she ran against Ward 3 incumbent council member Chris Tolbert largely because of the trash debate.

"The vote as it's turned in doesn't seem to be congruent with a lot of the feedback we got all the way leading up so I'm not sure what to say. But you know, there's always that issue with battling the establishment," Hartmann said. She lost to Tolbert.