Even for a city used to political upheaval, there's a lot of trash talk lately in Montebello.
A divided City Council in this Eastside suburb touched things off last summer when it voted to award exclusive trash rights to one company, Athens Services, beginning in 2015. The action would force out 12 independent haulers who have served the community for decades. As part of its agreement, Athens would grant the city a one-time payment of $500,000, and a 7.5% share of its monthly revenues.
Then-Mayor Bill Molinari and Councilwoman Mary Anne Saucedo-Rodriguez voted against the deal, saying that it was unfair to residents who could end up paying more for trash collection because of a lack of competition.
"It's the right of choice to get the best price for goods and services," Molinari said. "When they take away your choice, the consumer is always the victim and has to pay more."
Since then, residents and haulers have repeatedly turned out at City Hall to protest the agreement. Union leaders pulled their endorsements of Councilman Robert Urteaga, one of three council members to support the deal. And now there is talk of a recall campaign -- the second in less than two years.
Three council members were voted out in 2007 over whether the county should provide police and fire services to the city and whether that issue should be placed before voters.
All this in a city where the fight over trash rights has turned simmering political rivalries into red-hot feuds.
"We're upset because it didn't go up to bid," said Aron Petrosian, president of Commercial Waste Services, an independent trash hauling company that also serves Montebello. "Athens might be qualified, but they're not the only ones that can do it."
Montebello, a suburb of 62,000, is predominantly Latino but has a significant Asian and Armenian population. Armenian American families have been entrenched in the hauling industry here for generations, and the squabbling over trash rights has a personal dimension for some who have family members working for competing haulers.
After the council's vote, opponents began gathering signatures for a referendum on the Athens' contract.
Within days, haulers had collected nearly twice the 2,530 signatures needed to qualify a referendum for the ballot.
