Beginning this month, all Warrenton residents will begin paying for trash collection. Utility bills were mailed last Thursday and the trash service fee is included in addition to water and sewer charges. The city has been providing free residential trash service for more than 30 years, but due to budget constraints was forced to switch to a paid service. The switch  from a free to paid service has not been as difficult as anticipated, according to Terri Thorn, director of operations/finance officer. “There have been a lot of understanding citizens who understand the economics of why this was a necessary decision,” she said The monthly rates are: single family or duplex residence, $9.30; single family, or duplex residence — senior citizen, $8; multifamily residential unit, $7.55; multifamily residential unit — senior citizen, $7. Those rates include a 55-cent fee to cover the city’s cost of  processing bills and payments. Residents choosing to recycle will pay an additional $2.25 per month. To qualify for the senior discount, the billing account must be in the name of the person who is 62 years or older. The age must be verified before the discount is granted. Photo identification with a birth date can be brought to city hall or a copy of the identification can be mailed as well. Upon approval, Thorn noted that the discount will begin with the following month’s bill and will not be retroactive. As of last week, Thornsaid more than 300 residents had signed up for the senior discount.The city held a public forum in September regarding on the proposed repeal of the free residential trash service. In October, aldermen approved the change due to budget constraints. The decision came following an anticipated $504,877 shortfall in the general fund budget. The city has depended on a 1 percent sales tax to cover the cost of the trash service, but in recent years has taken funding from other departments to subsidize trash collection costs. To offset the deficit in this fiscal year, $594,112 was transferred from several areas, including park management fees ($165,965), tourism special events ($58,247), cemetery costs ($1,900), capital sales tax ($185,400) and water/sewer fund ($182,600). “That is something you don’t want to rely on to balance your budget,” Thorn said. “It’s one of those necessary evils that had to be done.” In the past two fiscal years, the city has seen sales tax revenue decline by approximately $285,000 in the general fund and has seen other taxes, permits and license fees drop by around $60,000. Commercial properties currently pay for trash service and will continue to contract for that service on an individual business basis.