Lehighton has decided to return to its former trash hauler.

On a 5-1 vote, borough council on Monday awarded a three-year contract to Tamaqua Transfer and Recycling in the amount of $1,435,800 from 2021-2023.

Council President Grant Hunsicker was opposed. Councilman Darryl Arner was absent.

Before the vote, council heard from the parties who bid on the contract.

Jonas Kreitzer, of County Waste LLC, the borough’s current trash hauler, asked council whether it would consider rebidding.

Kreitzer said he knows at least one other company that would have bid, and believes rebidding the contract would be the best thing “so that everyone could bid fairly.”

Larry Wittig, president of Tamaqua Transfer and Recycling, told council he didn’t believe that would be the way to go about things.

“My feeling on rebidding is I left a lot of money on the table,” Wittig said. “We were the lowest bidder on all but one.”

Councilman Ryan Saunders noted that if the borough were to award a contract to the lowest bidder, the garbage bill would only go up about $2 a month, which would which raise the rate from $25 to $27.

Saunders said that not only as a resident, but also a councilman, the borough has fielded various complaints about its current trash hauler.

“We definitely should hold a higher standard for our residents for what they should expect,” Saunders said.

Councilwoman Autumn Abelovsky initially said she didn’t fee comfortable awarding a contract because she didn’t feel she had all the necessary information at her disposal.

Councilman Donnie Rehrig noted that based on the lowest bid at the present time, he said residents would be looking at about a $2 increase per month.

Saunders said that since the borough’s finance and administration is comfortable and confident with a $2 increase, so is he.

However, Hunsicker said, “We can’t keep raising all the time.”

Abelovsky then suggested council ask to hold another meeting.

“We don’t have that (information) all in front of us,” Abelovsky said. “I just feel we need more before I make a decision.”

Councilwoman Lisa Perry said her concern with calling a special meting is that it would have to pay to advertise the meeting.

Rehrig said that regardless, there was going to be an increase either way, and that nothing would change within a week’s time.

Kreitzer reiterated that he believes there was confusion of what was in the bid specs, and that it would be unfair to other companies who wanted clarification.

Abelovsky said “there’s no denying the numbers, but I have to agree there was a lot of confusion at that meeting.”

The borough’s five-year garbage contract with County Waste LLC is set to expire at the end of this year.