Opinion: Fairfax County Shouldn’t Take Out the Trash — or Our Right to Choose
By John Halacy
July 1, 2025
Fairfax County officials are promoting a policy shift towards a government-run trash collection system, the Unified Sanitation District (USD) model. It will be discussed in a public hearing on October 14. This proposal aims to improve service, reduce carbon footprints, and achieve sustainability goals, but it raises significant concerns about consumer choice and competition.
Currently, homeowners can choose their trash hauler, allowing selection based on cost, service, or support for local businesses. The USD model threatens this flexibility and could lead to a one-size-fits-all approach. Predictions of fewer trash trucks and lower environmental impact lack solid data, and the prospect of USD could negatively affect smaller, family-run businesses.
The county claims USD could lower costs for homeowners. But their cost comparisons with areas like Arlington and Prince William Counties and Raleigh, NC, are misleading due to the omission of tipping fees as a cost factor. For instance, Fairfax County charges $90 per ton for commercial solid waste disposal, while Arlington, Prince William, Raleigh, and others cited all charge significantly less. We need an honest portrayal of the facts.
Centralization, a key element of USD, can increase bureaucracy, reduce efficiency, and diminish competition. The assumption that county management will yield better environmental outcomes is uncertain without rigorous measurement. A hasty move to USD could undermine local businesses and service quality.
Any significant change in services should be based on evidence, public engagement, and a recognition of the diverse needs of Fairfax County communities.
The urge to centralize services may be well-intentioned, but it ignores the everyday value that choice and competition bring to the process. The county doesn’t need a mandated monopoly and additional county fees. It needs a practical, cost-effective system that respects its residents’ right to choose, and holds all providers, public or private, to the highest standard. Let’s not throw away what works.
John Halacy is a Fairfax County resident and President of Citizens For Great Falls, a newly formed community-based non-profit advocacy organization.