Wausau to seek proposals for garbage hauler

Wausau is starting the process for seeking a new garbage hauler contract. 

The city’s Public Health and Safety Committee voted Monday to approve requesting proposals for a garbage hauler. The contract with the existing hauler, Harter’s, is coming to an end in March 2026. 

The city saved a lot of money when it moved to Harter’s in 2016, Finance Director MaryAnne Groat says. Recycling went from $155,000 per month to $128,000 per month currently. And the carts for recycling worked much better than the previous hauler’s open bins. 

The contract the city signed with Harter’s allowed for a seven-year extension, but Groat says they told city leaders they would rather put in a bid through a bid process. Groat believed the existing contract wasn’t designed to keep up with costs and so they’re probably losing money.