Garden City, Ks. (westernkansasnews.com)

The Garden City Commission voted last week to approve an ordinance that will increase garbage collection fees for multi-family residential units in each of the next two years, to bring those rates in line with fees currently charged to single-family homes.

Trash collection fees now stand at $12.80 for multi-family and $19.25 for single-family. In 2013, the multi-family monthly rate would rise to $16, and in 2014 it would increase to $19.25, the same rate single-family residential units pay.

In 2015, single-family and multi-family rates will rise to $22 per month, and commercial to $15.25. Each year from 2016 through 2023, rates would rise by 50 cents annually for each category, which will help maintain a $600,000 solid waste reserve fund.