Washington City Council approved their measure to implement the 2025 fee for solid waste collection and alter the fee collection calendar. The fee for this year will be $300 until June 1. A late fee of $50 will be assessed from June 2 through October 31. On November 1 through December 31 the charge will be $350 plus fines and penalties. Council also had a first reading of two ordinances that expect to be passed next month. Those ordinances will address fees and collection timelines for the Business Privilege Tax and Mercantile Tax. According to Mayor JoJo Burgess, council has worked with their solicitor to determine practices to more aggressively collect taxes not being paid by businesses in the city and assess fines for non-compliance. A 2025 tax hike in the city has angered council and they are determined to make sure that residents are not saddled with taxes that should be paid by business owners. In other city business council hired two new police officers and two new fire fighters. They also re-allocated $152,000 in LSA funding to be used for the “President’s Pathway Project.” It is a pathway that will lead students from Washington And Jefferson into the city so they may take advantage of the restaurants and shops.