Council approves trash fee hike

The City Council approved Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa’s latest trash fee hike Tuesday. The revenue will be used to help balance the city’s budget and to continue the mayor’s effort to hire 1,000 new police officers.

For homeowners, the monthly trash fee will increase to $36.32 from $26, and for residents of apartments that have four or fewer units, it will climb to $24.33 from $17.16.

The council voted 13 to 1 in favor of the fee hike, with Councilman Dennis Zine voting in opposition. Zine said he was troubled by the timing of the fee increase, which comes as many Los Angeles residents are being squeezed financially.

The trash fees, which have more than tripled in two years, are scheduled to take effect in September.