March 23, 2025 Story by: Editor
GREENVILLE, S.C. (FOX Carolina) – South Carolina State Senator Karl Allen has put a temporary hold on a bill that seeks to dismantle a long-standing waste management service operating in three districts of Greenville County.
The proposed legislation, which aims to dissolve Greater Greenville Sanitation, has already passed through the House and is awaiting Senate approval. On Friday night, Sen. Allen held a town hall meeting to hear from concerned residents and provide clarity on what might happen next.
Allen reassured his constituents that while the bill remains on hold, he is actively engaging with the lawmakers who introduced it in an effort to reach a compromise and preserve Greater Greenville Sanitation.
During the packed town hall at Mt. Pleasant Baptist Church, most attendees voiced strong support for the current trash service. Many expressed confusion and concern over Bill H 4002, which would eliminate the sanitation district and require residents to find private waste collection services. “People that don’t want to pay a private company to pick up their trash—what’s going to keep them from throwing their trash on the street?” one resident questioned.
The legislative effort is driven by two separate bills, H 4002 and H 4003, both sponsored by Representatives Bruce Bannister and Mike Burns. While H 4002 seeks to dissolve the sanitation district, H 4003 proposes a change in the service’s billing structure, shifting from a system based on millage and property values to a flat fee.
“So somebody was paying $60.00 because they lived in a nicer house or a more expensive house, or however, whatever part of town they were, their cost is going to go from $60 down to $32.50. Somebody is paying $20, their cost is going to go from $20 to $32.50,” explained Steve Cole, Executive Director of Greater Greenville Sanitation.
However, Reps. Bannister and Burns argue that the current millage-based system is unfair and that Greater Greenville Sanitation is taking business away from private waste collection companies by operating beyond its district. This has raised concerns among some residents about potential conflicts of interest.
“If it walks like a duck and it quacks like a duck and talks like a duck, it must be a duck,” remarked Sen. Allen.
Years ago, Rep. Bannister represented the National Waste and Recycling Association on behalf of Republic Services, a private waste collection firm. The company had previously filed a lawsuit attempting to prevent Greater Greenville Sanitation from constructing a waste transfer station, though the case was ultimately dismissed.
“Is that not a possible conflict of interest there? Like, how is that legislation allowed to be introduced?” one resident asked, questioning Bannister’s involvement in the bill.
Source: FOX Carolina
