Halifax Select Board Approves $10 Trash Fee Increase, Sets January Special Town Meeting

HALIFAX, Mass. — Local residents will see a small adjustment to their municipal utility bills following a recent vote by the Halifax Select Board. At its October 13 meeting, the board officially approved a $10 increase to the town’s annual curbside trash and recycling fee, bringing the overall rate to $450 per year.

The rate adjustment comes alongside a slate of key municipal decisions, including setting the date for a winter Special Town Meeting, addressing an Open Meeting Law complaint, appointing a new patrol officer, and approving a conditional get-out-the-vote initiative on town grounds.

Key Decisions at a Glance

• Annual Curbside Trash Fee: Rises to $450/year, billed in two semi-annual installments of $225 (October and April). Covers weekly trash pickup, bi-weekly recycling, and full recycling center access.
• Second Trash Bin: Increased from $270 to $280/year ($140 per installment).
• Late Fees & Interest: Unchanged at 14% interest on late bills and a $15 demand fee.
• Special Town Meeting: Scheduled for Tuesday, Jan. 12 at 6:30 p.m.; warrant closes Thursday, Nov. 5.
• Police Personnel: Appointed Silver Lake graduate Nicholas Clark as patrol officer.

Trash and Recycling Rates Adjust Upward

Select Board Chair Thomas Pratt presented the updated solid waste fee structure during the session, outlining how the modest rate hike will help maintain local collection operations.

Under the revised structure:

• The primary $450 annual fee will continue to cover standard weekly trash collection, bi-weekly recycling pickup, and full operational access to the Halifax recycling center.
• Residents requesting an optional second bin will see that annual rate rise from $270 to $280 ($140 per semi-annual installment).
• Penalties remain stable: the late-payment interest rate remains locked at 14%, while the demand fee stays at $15 (which was previously raised from $10 last year).

Board officials highlighted that Halifax’s municipal collection rates remain markedly lower than quotes offered by private waste hauling firms in the region. Board member Jonathan Selig encouraged town residents to compare market rates, noting that shifting to the current cart-based program successfully rescued a pay-as-you-throw bag system that had previously lost money for the town. Selig characterized the $10 adjustment as a modest and necessary tweak to keep the program self-sustaining.

Board Approves GOTV Booth Near Library

Following extended discussion, the board voted 3-0 to grant permission to Democratic Town Committee co-chairs Sam Cox and Ellen Snoeyenbos to erect a one-hour, nonpartisan get-out-the-vote pop-up tent on town property near the library.

Planned for Saturday, Oct. 17—coinciding with the start of early voting—the booth will feature early-voting schedules, a Wi-Fi hotspot to help citizens verify their registration status, and promotional signs encouraging civic participation. Organizers confirmed there would be no candidate signage, political apparel, or partisan campaign material, and the setup will maintain a required distance of more than 150 feet from the Town Hall polling site.

To address concerns regarding political balance on town-owned land, Chair Pratt and member Selig instituted a requirement that the Select Board office send formal notification and contact details regarding the event to the Republican Town Committee.

Special Town Meeting and Operational Updates

Looking ahead, the board set the upcoming Special Town Meeting for Tuesday, Jan. 12 at 6:30 p.m. Pratt noted that moving the assembly from late autumn into early winter avoids scheduling conflicts during the busy holiday season while giving municipal staff adequate time to formally certify free cash balances. The official town warrant opened Oct. 13 and will close on Thursday, Nov. 5.

In other board business:

• Procedural Review: Chair Pratt publicly addressed an Open Meeting Law complaint submitted by resident Patrick Higgins regarding omissions on a Sept. 22 executive session agenda. Pratt acknowledged the oversight as an administrative error, confirmed he recently completed a 90-minute refresher course on public meeting laws, and the board voted unanimously to direct legal counsel to issue a formal written response.
• Public Safety Hiring: The board unanimously approved the appointment of Nicholas Clark, a Silver Lake graduate, as the town’s newest police officer. Selected as the top candidate from a pool of 20 applicants, Clark is slated to attend the full-time police academy in January.