Subject
title
Adoption of a Resolution to Establish the Service Charge Rate for Municipal Refuse Collection and to Establish a Charge for Unreturned Refuse and Recycling Carts Pursuant to Section 20-6 of the Rockville City Code
end
Department
Finance
Recommendation
Staff recommends that the Mayor and Council adopt the Resolution to establish the service charge rate for Municipal Refuse Collection, and to establish a charge for unreturned refuse and recycling carts pursuant to Section 20-6 of the Rockville City Code.
Change in Law or Policy
Setting the refuse rate for FY 2027 requires the adoption of the attached resolution.
Discussion
The Refuse Fund accounts for the financial activity associated with the collection and disposal of residential recycling, refuse, and yard waste. The City currently operates a once-per-week refuse pickup and a single-stream recycling program. For FY 2027, the rate is set to increase by 3.5 percent, or $20 per year, to $585 per single-family residence. Customers pay for recycling and refuse services on their annual real property tax bill that comes from Montgomery County.
The Refuse Fund makes up 5 percent of the total operating budget, supports 37.2 regular FTEs, one capital project, and all operating costs of the program. The Fund supports the budgets for the Public Works Department and Non-Departmental. The Refuse Fund has no outstanding debt and no additional bond issues are planned. The Refuse Fund capital budget supports the Gude Yard Recycle Transfer Enclosure (GC19) project with a carryover appropriation of $694,350.
Mayor and Council History
|
Date |
Action Item |
|
November 10, 2025 |
Budget Public Hearing #1 Budget Timeline Presentation |
|
January 5, 2026 |
Mayor and Council Priorities Discussion |
|
March 9, 2026 |
Public Hearing #2 FY 2027 Budget Introduction M&C Worksession #1 - Strategic Initiatives and Revenues |
|
March 23, 2026 |
Budget Public Hearing #3 M&C Worksession #2 - Operating Expenditures and Grants |
|
April 13, 2026 |
Budget Public Hearing #4 Close of the community budget priorities survey and public record |
|
April 20, 2026 |
M&C Worksession #3 - CIP, Debt Review, Final Balancing |
Public Notification and Engagement
The FY 2027 budget public record closed on April 13, 2026. The final public hearing was held on April 13, 2026.
The FY 2027 budget process included multiple opportunities for public input, including “Propose-A-Project” submissions, four budget public hearings, and offering written testimony to be included in the budget public record.
The Rockville community also submitted an online budget survey to communicate their budget
priorities for FY 2027. This form was available in 3 languages (English, Spanish, and Simplified (Mandarin) Chinese) and was posted through April 13, 2026. The final community budget priorities survey report is attached with the materials for budget adoption.
Fiscal Impact
The adopted FY 2027 operating budget for the Refuse Fund equals $9,434,820 and the FY 2027 CIP budget equals $694,350. The adopted budget is based on a refuse rate of $585 per year.
Next Steps
The FY 2027 adopted budget will begin July 1, 2026, and continue through June 30, 2027. The FY 2027 budget document will be posted to www.rockvillemd.gov/budget <http://www.rockvillemd.gov/budget> in July 2026.