Once again, they're thinking about charging city residents for garbage pickup, an idea that has come and gone through decades of economic cycles. This time, though, the likelihood has risen as the gap has grown between what Columbus collects in taxes and fees and what it must spend to maintain city services.

"It has to be considered," said City Auditor Hugh J. Dorrian, who's on an economic advisory panel that will decide by March whether to recommend a new monthly trash fee to Mayor Michael B. Coleman and the City Council.

Coleman hasn't ruled out the idea, even though he said during his first run for mayor in 1999: "I will never charge to pick up garbage in this city."

Two weeks ago, he proposed a 2009 budget that would freeze Police and Fire Division hiring, lay off 130 civilian workers and shut down a dozen recreation centers.

"We cannot go on at this pace in the future unless more revenue is generated," he said.

Since Columbus' last debate over trash fees in 2006 -- one of four times that the issue has come up in the past decade -- more U.S. cities have adopted them.

Toledo began charging residents $5.50 a month (now $7) in 2007. Cincinnati's city manager proposed a $17.30 fee last month, but Mayor Mark Mallory removed the plan from his budget proposal. Akron and most Columbus suburbs charge, as well.

"Many, many, many, many cities charge," said Mark Kelsey, Columbus' public-service director. "It would be fair to say we're in the exception category."

A fee for Columbus residents likely would fall between the rate in Toledo and the one proposed in Cincinnati. Assistant Public Service Director Mary Carran Webster said it cost the city $12.61 per household per month last year to pick up trash and run other collection programs.

If that rate were passed on to nearly 327,000 households that rely on the department's refuse division, it would generate $49.5 million yearly. Coleman's 2009 budget proposal would cut $54.4 million from the amount that he said would be needed to keep city programs and services running at current levels.

The mayor has spared weekly trash service from cuts, but he has proposed less-frequent collection of yard waste and bulk trash.

City officials say they don't know whether a charge would be billed separately, added to water and sewer invoices, or tacked onto property-tax bills. They don't know how they would treat deadbeat customers, especially those who share 300-gallon trash bins with neighbors.

Other huge unknowns include how much people would pay and where the money would go. Would households be billed a flat rate, or would fees be based on the amount of trash they throw out? Would money go strictly to the city's general fund or be used, at least in part, to boost recycling?

Politics raises even thornier questions.

Unlike an increase in the city income tax, which must be approved by voters, trash fees could be imposed by a majority of the City Council.

Three of the seven council members are up for election in 2009: Priscilla Tyson, who was appointed in 2007; whoever is chosen to succeed Maryellen O'Shaughnessy, who will resign by early January to become Franklin County clerk of courts; and Kevin L. Boyce or his replacement if he is appointed by Gov. Ted Strickland to become state treasurer.

O'Shaughnessy won't be around come spring to vote on any proposed fee, but she said she supports the idea. Tyson has said several times that Columbus needs more money, but she hasn't backed any specific proposals.

Boyce, chairman of the council's finance committee and one of the 15 members on the economic panel, has been skeptical of a trash fee.

rvitale@dispatch.com