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RIVERSIDE (CNS) – The Board of Supervisors approved imposing
special assessments totaling $2.65 million on thousands of Riverside County
residents’ property tax bills to collect unpaid trash collection debts on Tuesday.

According to the Department of Environmental Health, 5,323 residents
in unincorporated communities owe the county’s four waste haulers for rubbish
pickup and disposal services in 2021.

Amounts in arrears range from about $125 to $6,300 per customer,
according to the proposed special assessment roll.

Environmental Health Director Jeff Johnson requested the public
hearing Tuesday for the supervisors to approve the assessments, which they did
by unanimous voice vote, tacking the overdue sums onto delinquent payers’
property tax obligations.

“The regular removal of solid waste from residential properties is a
basic sanitation practice that protects both the environment and the public,”
Johnson said. “The mandatory collection of solid waste and the payment for the
collection is critical.”

No ratepayers appeared before the board to explain their circumstances
or appeal for waivers.

In the past, petitioners have presented appeals to the board based on
the fact that they oversee their own waste disposal and shouldn’t be on the
hook for the waste haulers’ costs. Sometimes, properties are also under lease,
and the owners aren’t responsible for paying trash disposal charges.

The special assessments will include an additional $77-per-parcel
charge applied to delinquent bills to cover the cost of public noticing and
county staff time.

According to Johnson, residents can avoid paying the supplemental
charge by satisfying their obligations in full on or before July 22.

Riverside County Board Authorizes Imposing Liens on Delinquent Bill Payers