Nonprofit groups, already hobbled by cuts in government funds and donations, say a city plan to charge them for trash pick-up belongs in the dumpster.
Colleges, churches, museums, Jewish centers and other organizations are being surveyed by the city Department of Sanitation to try and determine how much trash they generate.
“This amounts to a service cut,” said Michael Stoller, executive director of the Human Services Council, a coalition of nonprofit groups. “Donations could help make it up but philanthropists want to help kids and seniors. They don’t want to pay for a garbage tax.”
The Sanitation Department announced last year it was examining a plan to charge groups in buildings that receive a property tax exemption for nonprofit use a service fee for trash collection.
“The exact amount of the fee and which institutions would be covered by the program, which would begin later this year, has not been determined, as [the agency] must first collect additional information regarding the customers we service,” Sanitation Commissioner John Doherty said in a survey letter received by dozens in groups across the five boroughs last week.
“They’re going to charge a fee … on a service this place has been getting free of charge for 25 years?” asked Coney Island USA founder Dick Zigun. “We’re sort of freaking out here because our budget is tight.”
The agency has estimated it can raise more than $17 million in fees.
The city is hoping the plan will also encourage more recycling. Mayor Bloomberg’s new Waste Reduction Plan aims to slash landfill costs by some $50 million and double the city’s recycling diversion rate from 15% to 30% by 2017, Doherty said in the letter.
“I can’t believe it,” said Sister Tesa Fitzgerald, executive director of Hour Children, a nonprofit based in Long Island City.
“They should be thanking us for the services we provide not taxing us,” she said. “We have five residences for women coming out of prison. If they went into the shelter system it would cost the city more money.”
City Councilman David Greenfield (D-Borough Park) said he is introducing a bill that would prevent the city from charging nonprofits for trash collection.
“The city is kicking nonprofit organizations while they are down,” said Greenfield. “These institutions are vital to our community and are suffering the most in a recession.”
Norma Martin, assistant executive director of Brooklyn Community Services, said having to pay for trash pick-up will impact their after-school, family counseling, job training and educational programs.
“One of our programs for mentally ill people helps keep them stable and out of the hospital,” said Martin. “Instead of doing that we are going to have to divert some resources into paying this garbage tax.”
Officials at the Riverdale Country Day School said the plan might not be all bad.
David Patnaude, director of Plant Sustainability at the school, said he is mulling the purchase of a massive composter that could turn organic waste into compost for their gardens.
“It will force us to think differently about how we manage our trash,” he said. “We’re down with that. This school is very green.”
With Erin Durkin
