The Laurel City Council voted Tuesday to increase the city’s rates for commercial garbage by 100 percent.

The city is currently charging $45 per month for the small, four cubic yards dumpsters, and $60 for the larger, six cubic yards dumpsters, that are scheduled to be emptied once each week.

Shedwick Jones, director of the city’s Public Works Department, said the increase is to bring the rate “more in line with the cost involved.”

“Right now the rate we collect will not pay the cost for dumping the dumpsters,” Jones said. “By increasing the cost by 100 percent, it is still lower than the other providers of this service. ... We need to cover some of the cost involved.”

The city currently pays $39 per ton of garbage disposed and it takes between four and five yards to produce a ton of garbage.

According to information provided, Enviro charges $99 per month for the smaller dumpsters and $127 per month for the larger dumpsters.

Waste Management’s rates for the smaller dumpsters are $99 and $142.46 per month for the larger dumpsters. But, Waste Management also charges a $75 delivery fee and a 20 percent environmental surcharge.

Council president George Carmichael said it is important for people to understand what’s going on with the rates.

When the rates were explained, officials realized the city has been losing money in commercial garbage collection.

“We’ve been undercharging for this service for quite a while. Now, we are just trying to get the rates in line with the costs involved.” Carmichael said. “The prices we are charging are not paying for the cost of dumping the rubbish.”

The council approved the commercial rate increase with little discussion.

In a separate matter Tuesday, the council adopted an order authorizing the sponsorship for Public Relations Director Wanda Benson’s participation in the Economic Development Authority’s Leadership Jones County Class of 2008.

In other business, the council adopted an order accepting City Building Supply as the lowest and best bid for building materials on the semi-annual bids list.