City to Go After Thousands of Murrieta Residents for Unpaid Trash Fees Totaling $487,000+

The city of Murrieta is looking to go after more than 2,700 residents who have not paid up on their trash service charges for 2012.

At Tuesday's city council meeting, the council is expected to approve a resolution tacking the delinquent charges onto residents' property tax bills, according to the meeting's agenda report.

Approximately 2,780 parcels have not paid their fees this fiscal year-- adding up to $487,209.70, the report indicates.  Murrieta has an agreement with Waste Management to enact property liens for residential trash hauling service charges delinquent from the previous calendar year, the report says.

"This annual levy is in consideration of the City’s requirement that no residential property be removed from regular trash service due to unpaid fees," the agenda report says.  "The City does not wish to encourage illegal dumping, and has, therefore, imposed a mandatory service on all property in the community."

Once the council approves the resolution and sends them with the tax roll to the county tax collector, penalties and interest will be added to the charges.  The total amount to be collected will be $632,375.42, according to the agenda report.

The city implemented a similar resolution in June 2012, for the collection of the previous year's delinquent charges.