For many, many years, Adams County leaders have struggled with trashy residents who are either cheap or forgetful.

Residents receiving county trash pick-up benefits, but who don’t pay the bill for the service have been a problem for a long time.

County supervisors seem poised to try and resolve the problem and potentially shrink the size of county government in the process.

Under the current system, the county handles the billing and collections for sanitation services with a two-person department. Supervisors estimate the monthly mailing expense of that department is approximately $2,500. That’s $30,000 annually, plus the salaries, utilities, etc., related to operating the office.

All of that could be eliminated and the saved taxpayer dollars redirected — or refunded — if the county moves forward to simply allocating tax millage to cover the county’s contract with a private sanitation pick-up service.

Rather than the county continually chasing non-paying residents, the cost of trash pick up would simply be rolled into property tax bills. Done properly, it’s quite possible the move could reduce the price many people pay for the service, since the change would force all to pay, not just the honest among us.

While likely not popular with some residents, we support the county’s move and applaud their guts in working to fix long term problems.