They would not have wanted to increase the waste collection bill but in the Municipality of Assisi they were forced by a regional body, Auri, which, instead, established substantial increases. Among other things, Auri itself was “forced” by another national body, Arera. A beautiful confusion in which the Municipalities were not able, as Assuisi would have liked, to impose their own tariff. And so in recent days the notices relating to the Tari tariffs (waste tax 2024) have arrived in the homes of citizens, which can be paid in a single solution or in three installments whose deadlines are set for 1 July, 30 September and to December 2.
The increases included in the bills were established by the regional Auri (Umbrian Waste and Water Authority) which implemented the directives of the national Arera (Regulatory Authority for Energy, Networks and the Environment).
As other mayors have also stated in recent months, “we are now forced to act as tax collectors because the increase in the Tari depends on a new calculation system that removes municipalities from any power to intervene in the financial plans of the waste collection and disposal service”.
Before the reform, in fact, the cost of the service was fixed in advance based on a negotiation between the Municipality and the operator as provided for in the contract. Local authorities, therefore, were able to influence the rates and regulate them, also by modulating and making the service more efficient.
Today, however, the cost of the Tari is determined on a final basis based on the costs incurred by the manager according to the parameters set by Arera, the regulatory authority for energy and waste. The municipality only has the role of collecting the fee from citizens according to what others have decided. There is no margin for intervention: the Municipalities are obliged to approve the Financial Plans in the city council to pay the bill and not create holes in the budget for which, moreover, the municipal administration would be called to answer.
The municipal administration of Assisi points out that “even though we voted against this latest and unjust increase, and we were the only municipality to do so, it is not possible to oppose the decisions taken by the regional and national authorities”.
In essence, the increases in bills fully cover the costs incurred by the private company that manages the waste service in Assisi, these costs which are validated by Auri on a system decided by the national agency Arera.
Unfortunately this year the cost increases were only made known in April, which did not allow the Municipality of Assisi to establish a possible bonus in the budget forecast for the most fragile categories in terms of ISEE.
The administration of Assisi has divided the amounts into three installments to allow users to make deferred payment.
“As repeatedly reiterated at the Auri meeting, the city of Assisi, which welcomes millions of tourists every year, – is explained in a note from the administration – would need to regulate its Tari in order to take this peculiarity into account, together with the fact of wanting to keep the city clean and tidy together with an ever-increasing percentage of separate waste collection. Citizens work very hard in this direction, as does the private company that manages the service under contract, but it is no longer understandable how the particularity of Assisi is not taken into account in the regional waste plan. In view of the expiry of the contract for regional waste management, we intend to assert our requests in every administrative and legal venue”.
If the Tari is paid after the July deadline, it is worth remembering that this does not give rise to sanctions as it is a friendly notice for which no late payment interest or sanctions are foreseen if paid within the reference year.
