PETERSBURG, Va. – Trash service in the city of Petersburg is in jeopardy after the company which oversees the city's trash removal and recycling is threatening to suspend its service.
CBS 6 obtained the letter sent to acting City Manager Dironna Belton and Virginia's Secretary of Finance Richard Brown from the Central Virginia Waste Management Authority.
The company says the city of Petersburg failed to pay $632,894 it owes them from January to May of this year.
CBS 6 talked to Petersburg Mayor Howard Myers about the letter Wednesday and he said the news came as a shock.
"It appears impossible to be real," he said.
Mayor Myers said he is concerned about the delinquent account as it should be up to date.
"The money that should've been allocated was paid by the customer. And so, that money should have been set aside," he explained.
Now the city is in the process of trying to make the account current.
"It appears that they are interested in sitting down and having negotiations with respect to that,” said Mayor Myers. “I hope that the City Manager is quickly moving forward with respect to that."
Petersburg Mayor Howard Myers
Myers said he received the letter last week and reached out to the acting City manager Dironna Belton for an explanation.
He was told she was on vacation.
CBS 6 tried to reach Belton in her City Hall office Wednesday, but a staff member told us she was in a meeting and would get back to us.
In the meantime, Myers says he plans to step in.
“I'm hoping to encourage her to continue to move forward as expedient as possible to get this matter straightened out… I am sure we will work through this process as we have in the past."
After our story aired Wendesday, the City of Petersburg sent CBS 6 a statement concerning the letter from the Central Virginia Waste Management Authority.
The full statement read:
“The City of Petersburg is aware of the delinquent payments owed to the Central Virginia Waste Management Authority. Our City has been battling with long term financial mismanagement for far too long. Current City Management is working very hard to stabilize the City finances and the mounting debt, that has been building since 2012. As weekly communications have occurred with CVWMA, the City will continue to work with the Central Virginia Waste Management Authority to bring this account current.”
