HOA leaders oppose a USD

Not a single HOA representative who commented on a proposed Unified Sanitation District at a virtual meeting on Feb. 3 support the concept.

The general consensus among the nearly 30 homeowner association leaders who spoke at the meeting is, “If it isn’t broke, don’t fix it.”

The USD proposal calls for the county to take over and consolidate trash and recycling collection for all residences. Instead of the current situation, where residents and HOAs select a private hauler that best meets their needs, the county would contract with a few companies to handle waste collection in different regions.

Higher costs

The HOA leaders said they are happy with their current trash haulers and worried that, with a USD, they would lose the flexibility, reliability, choice, customization, dedicated customer service, and low costs they have now.

None of the people who spoke at the meeting said residents of their HOAs pay more than $35 a month for private trash and recycling. Homeowners with county services, including many in Annandale, pay over $50 a month as part of their tax bills.

Lauran Murphy, president of the Woodstone HOA in Franconia, said residents pay just $18 a month for twice-weekly trash pickups, plus weekly recycling and unlimited yard waste.

Related story: Trash haulers oppose the county’s takeover of waste collections

Like many others who spoke at the meeting, Donna Jacobson of the Lafayette Village Community Association in Annandale, urged county officials to allow HOAs to opt out of a USD. An opt-out provision should apply to an entire community, not individual homeowners, she said.

Joseph Johnston, president of the Virginia Run HOA in Centreville, said the county would have to hire about 64 new employees to oversee what he called a “pay as you throw” system, which would likely lead to higher taxes.

Putting small trash haulers out of business will undermine Fairfax County’s commitment to support small businesses, Johnston added.

Loss of flexibility

A USD would reduce consumer choice to a one-size-fits-all system, said Karen Parlatore of the Edgewater HOA in Burke.

The benefits of a USD cited by Fairfax County “are already being addressed by more proactive HOAs. When service drops, we put it out for bid,” said Kevin Corcoran of Chantilly.

The county’s goals for creating a USD, such as fewer trucks on neighborhood streets and other environmental improvements, are less important than the need to promote reliability and efficiency, said Ken Balbuena of the North Springfield Civic Association.

Noting that the county requires a 50 percent approval rate from homeowners to form or join a sanitation district for county trash services, Balbuena said the county should have the same requirement for a USD.

Related story: Residents express concerns about a Unified Sanitation District

Jessica Barrett of the Clifton Townes HOA in Centreville, with just 159 homes, is happy with their current small trash hauler, which charges $32 a month. “We’ve been through four large trash haulers in the past few years. We’ve had trash bags sitting on the curb for days, with broken bags sending trash all over the street.”

“The accountability piece is really important. We want to be able to opt out or opt in,” she said. “We aren’t able to bargain like larger HOAs.” With the county facing another budget shortfall, she questioned the level of customer service it will be able to provide.

Less choice

Shawn Endsley, vice president of the Reston Citizens Association, called a USD “a solution in search of a problem.”

Endsley said many small trash haulers who don’t win county contracts would have to lay off employees. Noting that there’s a five-year waiting time before a USD could be implemented, he worried that many small haulers would shut down during that period, resulting in service disruptions.

A USD would interfere with long-term contracts between HOAs and trash haulers, Endsley said. He also raised concerns about the county’s competence to handle a USD and the lack of information about who would pay for new trash bins.

Tatiana Glennie of Stonewall Manor in Vienna appreciates the choice they currently have to select a company with small trucks. Large trucks won’t be able to navigate the neighborhood’s narrow streets.

The Faircrest Community Association in Centreville negotiated staggered hours for their trash service so trash trucks aren’t on the same streets at the same time as school buses from the adjacent elementary school, said Donna Yeh.

Bill Baumgartner of the Lake Barcroft Association, which already gets county trash service, says the cost has gone up 25 percent in the past two years and is now $610 a year. Meanwhile, the county stopped collecting trash from the bins at the beaches.

When the county first proposed a USD in late 2024, the concept was met with strong opposition, particularly from HOAs and small trash haulers. In August, the Board of Supervisors approved a resolution calling for revisions or alternatives to the proposal and canceled a hearing that had been scheduled for October.

Last month, a meeting for representatives of small trash haulers met with universal opposition to a USD.