University City officials say they are weighing whether to outsource the municipality's city-run trash pickup service after years of unpaid bills, broken trucks, and stopgap loans have left the solid waste fund buried in debt. The St. Louis County city of roughly 35,000 residents has $1.5 million in delinquent residential trash bills, while borrowing millions more just to keep collection trucks rolling.
The scope of the problem, first detailed by Nassim Benchaabane of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, includes about $1.5 million in delinquent residential trash bills, $3 million in debt owed by the refuse department, and a possible $700,000 loan in 2026. According to that reporting, University City has moved at least $5.2 million since 2018 to keep trash service afloat, while failing to update its rates fast enough to keep pace with rising costs.
A Department Stretched Thin
The city's trash department is currently down to 10 employees and is dealing with a fleet of broken trucks, per the same Post-Dispatch account. City leaders have also struggled to enforce payment in the past, complicating collection efforts. The city has faced challenges pursuing delinquent accounts.
The city manager has proposed outsourcing to stop the city from pouring millions in city-funded loans into the struggling department. Replacing the fleet is estimated to cost $5 million.
Council Members Push for Answers
University City leaders are weighing outsourcing as a way to address the department's financial problems.
The city is also weighing whether to update ordinances requiring weekly trash pickup, and has been transferring money between departments citywide just to cover budget gaps tied to rising equipment, fuel, and manpower costs. The city's finance director resigned in February, and an external audit remains incomplete.
A Financial Crunch Beyond Trash
The trash fund's troubles are unfolding against a backdrop of citywide budget strain. As reported in August by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, University City leaders have also had to consider cuts to employee salaries, street repairs, and tree trimming amid the broader financial crunch. The city's in-house sanitation service is among the issues facing University City as it confronts its broader budget strain.
The council held a study session in 2025 to discuss an MSW Consultants rate study. An 8.4% rate increase implemented in April 2025 set single-family curbside service at $19.50 per month, with mandatory 3% annual increases tied to the Consumer Price Index beginning this past March.
Staffing and a Troubled History
The city's Public Works Solid Waste Management division was down to 10 employees. The billing troubles are not new, either: University City has faced long-standing problems collecting delinquent trash accounts.
University City is weighing whether private contractors could handle residential trash pickup.
