PORTSMOUTH — Portsmouth residents will pay more to dispose of their trash next year, with the town council last week setting new sticker fees for both the Hedly Street transfer station and the town’s curbside pickup program.

The biggest jump comes for curbside collection, where the annual sticker was set at $604 — significantly higher than the $325 sticker approved for the transfer station.

The decisions came after officials reviewed rising operating costs and lower-than-expected participation in the curbside program, which was initially projected to serve about 4,000 households but has drawn closer to 3,200.

Town Administrator Richard Rainer Jr. presented two curbside options: one that would require “pay-as-you-throw” trash bags, and one that would not. The PAYT option would have lowered the sticker price to about $537, but council members quickly dismissed it amid concerns about public pushback.

Residents echoed that sentiment during the meeting. Lepes Road resident Chris Carceller said PAYT bags — which cost about $2 each — could end up costing curbside users more over time. Residents would have to use more bags for curbside because collection comes weekly, while you can wait longer to fill a bag if using the transfer station. 

The council ultimately voted unanimously to adopt the $604 sticker without the bag requirement, along with a $1.73 million enterprise fund budget for curbside collection.

At the transfer station on Hedly Street, the council also set a slightly lower-than-recommended sticker price of $325, despite a suggested minimum of $331. The $798,436 enterprise fund for the facility was approved unanimously.

Council vice president David Gleason, who proposed the lower amount, said he believes more people are going to use the transfer station going forward based on the cost of curbside.

The transfer station fee also includes a built-in $20 per sticker to fund repairs and maintenance, creating a reserve of about $44,000 for upkeep.

Councipresident Keith Hamilton noted the system could benefit residents with multiple properties, allowing them to use both the mainland and Prudence Island facilities with a single Hedly Street sticker.

The new fees are part of the town’s enterprise-funded trash system, meaning the programs are designed to pay for themselves through user fees rather than general tax revenue.

Officials also made structural changes within the program, including shifting the waste diversion manager position to the department of public works and reducing transfer station staffing by one position starting July 1.

The new rates will take effect in the upcoming fiscal year, which begins July 1.