This week, in an unusual decision, the Walpole Board of Selectmen decided to rescind a previous vote to forbid Walpole homeowners from throwing away more than two 30-gallon trash bags per week.  The limit was intended to save the town between $41,000 and $137,000 per year, money that could be theoretically used to reduce the school budget gap or reduce gaps in other areas of the budget.  It furthermore would have helped save the environment by reducing the amount of unnecessary trash that should instead be recycled by residents.  Selectmen took back the limit one month after voting it into place because they got heavy criticism and heard complaints from angry residents who were upset about the new cap.  A number of residents presented genuine reasons why they need to use more than two trash bags.  Selectmen surrendered to the intense public pressure, and, in effect, undermined their positions by not voting in the best interest of the town and not standing by courageous decisions that may be unpopular.  By taking back the limit, selectmen also have hurt efforts to expand recycling initiatives in this town and save the town money for the school system.

In reversing the trash limit, selectmen stated that they did not want to create what some termed as a “trash police.”  In reality, citizens should be enforcing the trash limits themselves and should do it in the name of supporting their school system through the budget savings.  Walpole residents already have the advantage of not having to pay flat trash fees for all of their bags – having just two bags for free is not only reasonable, but also generous given the difficult economic trouble the town is having and the constant calls from concerned parents to impose trash fees.  Citizens who are upset about the limit should instead look for ways to cut down their trash rather than complain about a system that still gives them what is essentially free curbside trash service.

The decision of selectmen to reverse the initial vote also sets a dangerous precedent for future selectmen and other municipal leaders.  By taking a truly courageous vote and limiting trash output, selectmen showed that they had the courage to take a stand for what is necessary.  They did not take a reactionary step to impose trash fees, but instead they took the more moderate approach to save the town money by respectfully asking some families, definitely not a majority of Walpole, to cut down on their trash.  Most Walpole families remain unaffected.  With the vote reversed, selectmen have shown that they will bow to public pressure when a small group of local residents are upset about an issue.  The selectmen make a lot of decisions, many of which will inevitably be unpopular, but true elected officials need to be able to take votes and stand by those votes.  Elected officials who can not support their own vote are letting the residents down.  Selectmen make mistakes and sometimes take votes without much time to consider the consequences, but they were all willingly elected to the Board of Selectmen with the express knowledge that they would be asked to make such quick-thinking votes under pressure.  Therefore, it is disappointing that our selectmen can not seem to firmly stand behind their votes in this situation.  There will always be public outcry over decisions made by the selectmen – but real leaders are the ones who can take brave votes on issues that a few may find difficult to support.

One only needs to walk through the halls of Walpole High School on a school day to see why more recycling is needed town-wide.  At the same time that class sizes rise because of low funding, students throw away bottles and other products that could and should be recycled.  The school throws away more trash than it needs to.  It is not much different at many homes throughout Walpole.  Many families, simply because of their size, do have to use more than two trash bags.  Perhaps the town can consider imposing a reasonable additional fee to those families every time they go over the limit.  Doing so would still allow the town to save costs while encouraging everyone to do more to recycle and save money.

Ultimately, the town will need to at some point face the complex issue of how to deal with the bloated and ever-increasing trash-related line item in the municipal budget.  Trash removal is a $1.5 million per year operation, coming out of the wallets of Walpole taxpayers and not out of trash fees.  Trash fees have already been rejected multiple times, so a trash limit is not only reasonable but a perfect compromise to cut costs.  Selectmen need to be courageous enough to take a vote in favor of the initiative and should be proud of where they stand.  Anything less is disappointing.