All Niles homeowners are being hit with a new $210-plus annual charge because the Village of Niles will no longer pay for garbage pick up. Charging for this will be painful for the many senior Niles residents on fixed incomes. This decision by Mayor Alpogianis and Village Trustees is a major mistake and defies economic sense. They have decided to eliminate a free essential service that is operating efficiently which everyone needs, but continue to fund another free service that very few residents use and is operating atextravagant cost. That service is eight buses meandering through Niles carrying few or no passengers. The main streets of Niles are adequately served by Pace buses rendering the Niles buses unnecessary. The cost to the Village and taxpayers for the free bus and residents’ garbage pickup are close to the same.
The free bus was started by Mayor Blase in the 1970s when Niles had exceptionally high sales tax revenue and gas prices were 69 cents per gallon. The number of riders has been about 750 weekdays which translates to about 350 persons as most people don’t take a one way trip. Not all riders are Niles residents. I estimate the cost for Niles per ride is $4.50. And with Pace subsidies could be $10 per ride. A five-minute car trip can take over 30 minutes because it often is not a direct route.
None of our neighboring communities have a free bus. My conclusion is Niles should fund garbage pickup for homeowners and cease funding the free bus. Mayor Alpogianis needs to put this on the May 23rd Village Board meeting agenda and give Niles residents a chance to comment now that they got a bill and are aware of the cost. Maybe the Mayor and Trustees can explain why 350 people get a free service and 30,000 don’t.
Joe Makula
Niles
