Starting Saturday, Bowmanstown residents will see their monthly garbage bill double in price.

Borough council on a 4-1 vote recently agreed to increase the borough’s monthly garbage rate to $33.

Councilman Rob Moyer was opposed. Councilwomen Kara Scott and Candace Rodrigues were absent.

That represents an $18 a month rise over the $15 a month residents had been paying for their garbage rates.

Council at its Sept. 6 meeting opened the bidding for garbage and recycling collection.

At that time, it received only one bid, which was turned in by Tamaqua Transfer & Recycling.

The new contract starts Oct. 1. It is for one year at $132,300 and does not include recycling.

Council President Pam Leiby and members Donna Winter and Scott were opposed to the increase.

Contract options, with curbside recycling collection, were: $182,300 for one year, $563,471 for three years, and $967,855 for five years.

Without recycling they were: $132,300 for one year, $407,563 for three years, and $698,187 for five years.

The most recent rate was $50,345 a year, which included curbside recycling.

Larry Wittig, president of Tamaqua Transfer, attended the meeting and explained the increases.

Wittig said there only two landfills, Keystone and Commonwealth, owned by the same person, and they have raised their rates.

He added bids have increased everywhere.