The Gun Barrel City Council voted down a waste removal contract March 22 after hearing objections to a proposed 3 percent fee to be charged residents.
The contract with Republic Waste Systems would have locked the city into the fee for seven years until 2023. Some council members said they viewed the fee as comparable to a tax that residents might oppose.
The fee would be used for road repairs caused by waste haulers, and it would be remitted to the city.
Opponents of the contract asked for the matter to be postponed until the new council is seated in May and a new city manager is hired to replace Gerry Boren who resigned late last year.
Another opponent objected to the exclusivity of the contract which prohibits the hiring another roll-off dumpster service that might be less expensive. To do so would result in a $200 fine by the city.
The current contract with Republic runs through 2018.