This is an absolute crime. In a society where recycling is pushed every time you turn around and for those of us that faithfully practice such practices, buy green, reuse what we can, etc...we are being penalized for those that put 3 cans out every week. I put 1 can out a month! And I know I am not alone. Every one of my elderly neighbors...I see them with one can out a month. Neighbors: there has got to be a solution here. Speak up! All we are doing is subsidizing those that flaunt recycling and just don't care.

good commissioners would have taken the contract and divided the overall cost by 5 and then billed us equally for 5 years. Thankfully it is an election year and Morgan and johns are up for re-election in 2013, lets remove them from office as a "necessary requirement" I agree with SWT Resident, why do our neighboring municipalities have rates for senior citizens but South Whitehall does not?:

Actually...a 20% increase would add $58 a year to my bill. Now, if the increase is to cover $63,000, and if there are 8,180 housing units in SWT based on the 2010 census, at $58 per house unit x 8,180 housing units we get $474,440 total. Hmmmmm. That more than covers the $63,000 cost increase related to and collected from increasing my trash and recycling costs. Something is funny here. $63,000 increase, but $474,440 passed onto the tax payers based on all residential housing units seeing the same increase. I urge all residents in SWT to call Tony Ganguzzaor Jon Hammer at the township for an explanation. Telephone number is (610) 398-0401. Or, SWT Board of Comm President, Tori Morgan, (610) 398-0401, xt. 300. I want to know: how does $63,000 = $474,440?

And Parkland mom...I think its time they ALL go. Daubert has all but his name on the front of the building anymore..."SWT and Dale Daubert"...he has been there too long. Its time for a change. I get in and the first thing that I will push for: term limits. Two 4 year terms and out. Done.

EXACTLY>>> They also state the trash contract won't increase until the end of 2013. I spoke to J P Mascaro and they said they do not bill residents directly (which I knew) and are not aware of any pending increase.
Go to http://www.southwhitehall.com/index.html to see that they state the township is home to 18,000 people. Not sure if this is by postal residents or billable residents. If it's billable residents, then do the math..... $58.00 e.a. X 18,000 = $$1,044,000.00 being billed to cover a $63,000 bill????

Ok... let’s just say the residents are half that... still $522,000 to cover a $63,000 bill?

I have voiced in the past that I am a single resident paying the same rate for trash as my next door renters who had 9 people living there and am surrounded by families who have a minimum of 3 per household. I realize there is an overall cost to providing the service but how about pro-rating it for actual trash collected per occupancy of the resident? Our mailman says there is one house in our neighborhood where 22 people live!!
With the pending tax increase... I am looking at having to sell or stop maintaining my home. The cost to keep my house decent is out of reach and I'm already surrounded by renters who don't have to worry about upkeep and taxes or trash like those of us who own the houses.

I can not fathom the math that the commissioners used to figure out this equation. Over 8000 homes multiples by 58 dollars is nearly 475,000 dollars. I have to wonder if maybe the commissioners are using this to hide something else. Is there a thief on the loose in South Whitehall Administration. Who is robbing who here? People, don't be snowballed here they have got to be hiding something! It's time for the South Whitehall Patch and other media outlets to put pressure on South Whitehall and find out where all this money is going to go.

I'm glad you all are seeing the same thing I am. I was so thrown off by this large increase per household to cover $63,000. Thank you SWT Resident for listing the contact info. I will make sure to make my voice heard.

I mean it...I urge everyone that reads this to contact SWT Ganguzza or Hammer at 610-398-0401 and ask them to explain the math....how does a $63,000 increase justify a 20% increase, or $58 per year, which multiplies out to $474,440 a year. I'm a Parkland graduate with considerable education after that and I can't make the numbers work. It seems every other entity in PA has a separation between trash/recycling, water/sewer, and the general budget. We write checks out to pay our bills and it has to be written to a specific Authority and a separate check, trash/recycling, water/sewer, and general taxes. Are we pumping up the trash/recycling Authority just to transfer money somewhere else within the township? Pension service maybe like every other entity offering golden parachutes to their employees...except that is the private sector employee? As tax payers...we have a right to know where our tax money is going.

Boy...wait until the next elections in SWT. Phew. Clearing house.

Upper Macungie just lowered their garbage and recycling fees from $348 to $288. Lower taxes, cheaper fees in Upper Macungie, and they have their own police force too with just about the same amount of residents. Seems like South Whitehall has too many employees and poor commissioner leadership, remember to vote out Morgan and Johns in 2013

I been asking for a new toter for months to replace the one they broke with no response but they have a nerve asking for more money!!!!

Lets all move to macungie. The other day I say 3 employees 2 trucks and 1 car in south whitehall to relieve the pressure out of a hydrant.