The information included in this tally provides a cursory look at unit pricing programs in each community. It details the year unit pricing began, the type of fee structure utilized, and the container type used. Fee structure is defined as either fully variable, multi-tier, or additional base tax. These programs typically incorporate fixed costs into the variable rate by basing the unit fee on estimated average costs. With a multi-tier system, the estimated fixed costs of collection and a basic level of service are financed by a flat fee or through taxes.
Residents pay variable fees for incremental service levels above the base level.
Similar to the multi-tier system, an additional base tax system involves a flat fee to cover estimated fixed costs of collection. However, residents do not receive a base level of service, and a variable rate covers all trash containers set out. Population and number of households are derived from the 1990 census. For some communities, particularly unincorporated towns, census data were unavailable. Information on all program characteristics was not consistently available.