To: Lewiston City Council
Petition to Eliminate Trash Collection Fee
We, the undersigned acknowledge that we are the owners of rental property in the City of Lewiston. We further acknowledge that as landlords, we are finding it more and more difficult to both maintain the quality of housing necessary to attract quality residents and pay the bills. We as investors foresee that if this trend continues, we are likely to see more blighted properties, foreclosures and a dramatic increase in code violations due to inability to pay for oil, water bills, taxes, rubbish fees, storm water fees, and a host of other Federal, State and local taxes, user fees and mandates. Landlords, particularly those owning properties within and surrounding the downtown residential neighborhoods, cannot continue to cultivate community investment without an equal or greater investment from the City.
As a group, we call upon the City of Lewiston to make a conscious effort to begin to improve the business climate for private market rate housing by reexamining policies that have adversely affected multi-family housing investments. We believe that one such policy requiring reexamination is Lewiston’s multi-family trash collection fee. This policy instituted a charge of $170 per year on each apartment unit in a multi-family building regardless of whether the apartment is even rented. Previously, trash collection was included as a part an owner’s property taxes. This fee has contributed greatly to the financial stress placed upon many landlords by taking away critical funds needed for building repairs and upgrades. The trash collection fee continues to be a detriment to the already slim margins in the Lewiston rental market.
The landlords wish to work as a partner with the City and to act in the best interest of all the people. To that end, we are requesting as a start and show of good faith that the City of Lewiston immediately remove all trash collection fees to residential property owners and return to the former policy of allowing trash collection for ALL buildings as part of the benefit of paying taxes.
We sign below acknowledging our agreement with this request and the number of rental units we represent within the City of Lewiston. ****(Please write the # of units that you own/manage within City of Lewiston in the comments section of the petition. You may use your name or the name of your LLC when responding.)****
As a group, we call upon the City of Lewiston to make a conscious effort to begin to improve the business climate for private market rate housing by reexamining policies that have adversely affected multi-family housing investments. We believe that one such policy requiring reexamination is Lewiston’s multi-family trash collection fee. This policy instituted a charge of $170 per year on each apartment unit in a multi-family building regardless of whether the apartment is even rented. Previously, trash collection was included as a part an owner’s property taxes. This fee has contributed greatly to the financial stress placed upon many landlords by taking away critical funds needed for building repairs and upgrades. The trash collection fee continues to be a detriment to the already slim margins in the Lewiston rental market.
The landlords wish to work as a partner with the City and to act in the best interest of all the people. To that end, we are requesting as a start and show of good faith that the City of Lewiston immediately remove all trash collection fees to residential property owners and return to the former policy of allowing trash collection for ALL buildings as part of the benefit of paying taxes.
We sign below acknowledging our agreement with this request and the number of rental units we represent within the City of Lewiston. ****(Please write the # of units that you own/manage within City of Lewiston in the comments section of the petition. You may use your name or the name of your LLC when responding.)****
Why is this important?
Landlords in the City of Lewiston are facing greater difficulty maintaining quality housing amidst the current economic climate. As a City with the highest poverty rates in two of the most densely populated census tracts, the rental market is unable to respond to increases in operating expenses by spreading costs amongst tenants who have limited ability to pay. Landlords are asking the City of Lewiston to remove the trash collection fees that were formerly included as a benefit of being a tax payer.