The Department of Sanitation believes that charging residents for trash pickup is a way to incentivize recycling. The city has paid $1M to a consultant to design a ͞save as you throw͟ program. If adopted, single-family homeowners, renters, and co-op and condo owners would be forced to pay the fee. In other cities, charges are assessed by number of cans, by weight, or through the use bags or tags. DSNY Commissioner Kathryn Garcia compared the measure to the implementation of water charges which made people more likely to conserve water. In response, Council Member Robert Holden issued the following statement: “We live in one of the most expensive cities in the country, and our taxes should be sufficient enough to provide reliable services to citizens without additional cost. I believe the recent proposal from Sanitation Commissioner Kathryn Garcia will impose an undue burden on the working class in my district, as well as other districts across the city. This is a mismanagement of taxpayer dollars, and frankly, the plan is trash.” We all know that some businesses routinely dump commercial waste rather than pay for it. Soon we'll have residents doing the same. We don't need to hire consultants to understand this.