Bristol Borough council voted monday night to approve a new 5-year garbage hauling contract with current garbage hauler J.P Mascaro & Sons

The new contract comes with Mascaro & Sons being the only bidder, officials said last night. The new deal, like the last contact with the garbage hauler, has a two-year option Bristol can exercise, like the last deal. Council exercised the option in late 2020, locking in rates at  $115 per property for years 2021, 2022, and 2023, officials were anticipating 30 to 40 percent fee increases.

Now Council President Ralph DiGuiseppe said to expect rate hikes of at least 85 percent. 

“The trash is going up 85 percent, he said, if you look at every contract throughout… its 100 percent in some areas. Its in line with everybody else and there is no way its going down,” DiGuiseppe said. 

At least two other waste companies expressed some interest- Republic and Waste Management  however, they didn’t submit bids, officials said. 

Bristolians expressed their displeasure with the service, and lack thereof,  a number of times to council during the pandemic. For Garbage haulers throughout the region and country faced staffing shortages during the pandemic. It was no different for J.P Mascaro.

“Trash has been a total nightmare in this town. Were at a point now where residents are unhappy, council’s been unhappy and we’re doing everything we can to try and get this resolved,” Council President Ralph DiGuiseppe, said. at the time.

A representative from the trash contractor in June of 2021, blamed Coronavirus relief efforts in the form of extended unemployment benefits during a council meeting appearance. However LevittownNow.com pointed out two months later after the meeting appearance, none of the of major trash contractors were experiencing the kind of collection /staffing issues as J.P Mascaro.