Manteca’s residential garbage rates are going up almost 50 percent a month starting Nov. 16.

The actual rate hike will be higher for those with 32-gallon and 64-gallon cart service for garbage.

The two smaller sizes are being eliminated  — with an asterisk — as the city switches to a universal 96-cart system for garbage, recyclables, and  green waste.

The asterisk is for those households on a case-by-case basis that may be allowed to keep smaller carts due to physical limitations such as gate widths.

Those exceptions, when they are made, will not result in a break from the new rates.

The only ones receiving breaks will be qualifying low-income senior households.

The current monthly charge for 96 gallon carts is $34.33.

It will go to $50.92 on Nov. 16, 2023 through Dec. 31. 2024. That is a monthly hike of $16.59 or just under 50 percent.

Then, during the next three years, annual rate hikes of 7 percents means:

*On Jan. 1, 2025, the rate will go up $3.76 to $54.68.

*On Jan. 1, 2026, the rate will go up $4.04 to $58.72.

*On Jan. 1, 2027, the rate will go up $4.35 to $63.07.

The last rate increase was in 2016.

The rate hikes reflect ongoing labor, equipment replacement cost, as well as landfill tipping fees that are going up by more than 200 percent per ton.

It also includes implementing state mandated food waste diversions program to reduce organic waste that is being buried plus other changes that will require the city to expand its existing workforce and truck fleet by at least a third in order to implement.

The changes include:

*Going to weekly instead of every other week collecting blue (recycling) and green (yard waste/food waste) carts.

*Switching all households to 96-gallon carts for garbage and recyclables which means many residents will see their cart capacities double or triple.

*Based on the weekly collection, it also means existing 96 gallon households will be able to get rid of twice as much recyclables and yard waste.

The initial hike will take Manteca’s rate for a 96-gallon cart service from $34.33 to $47.41.

The regional average for 96-gallon service is currently $58.27 compared to Manetas’s initial rate hike of $50.92 in three months and $63.07 when the four-step rate hike is fully implemented in 2027.

Cities that already have higher rates than Manteca are Stockton, $50.70; Sacramento, $74.19; Tracy, $74.19; and Lodi, $100.37.

Ripon is currently lower at $36.

Once Manteca’s new rate schedule goes into effect, Modesto at $45.85 and Lathrop at $43.02 will be lower.

None of the other cities, however, have established rates to reflect an increase in recycling mandated by the state. That means all of the other cities mentioned will see rate increases in the coming year or so to cover the cost of state mandates.

Lathrop and Ripon are in the process of working toward meeting the new state standards.

Manteca, unlike surrounding cities, has its own solid waste collection service. The other cities hire private contractors.

The city received 86 written protests from 29,847 solid waste customers. Under Proposition 2018, a simple majority — in Manteca’s case, 14,924 letters of protest — were needed to block the rate hike.

Manteca also will be added council district cleanup days as well as a communitywide yard sale type of event as part of its new rate structure.

To contact Dennis Wyatt, email dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com