Smithville Lacks Bidding Details for New Trash Contract | The Locally Times
The city announced a new provider effective March 1, but public records do not include the contract's cost, duration, or details of the selection process.
## City Announces Rapid Transition to New Provider On February 20, 2026, the City of Smithville announced a change in its solid waste and recycling services provider, with Texas Disposal Systems (TDS) taking over operations effective March 1, 2026. According to the public notice posted on the city's website, the transition timeline is compressed. The last collection by the previous provider was scheduled to occur between February 23 and February 27, just days after the announcement. Residents were instructed to leave their old carts at the curb during that final pickup week. The new services from TDS are slated to begin on March 4, 2026. The city’s notice describes TDS as a group of locally owned and managed companies. The announcement also warns residents that their trash and recycling pickup days may change with the new provider, creating an immediate need for updated information. ## Procurement Process and Contract Terms Undisclosed While the city has announced the new provider, public records associated with the announcement do not detail the procurement process that led to the selection of Texas Disposal Systems. The documents do not specify whether the city conducted a competitive bidding process, issued a formal request for proposals, or considered other companies for the essential municipal service contract. Furthermore, the financial terms and duration of the agreement with TDS are not included in the public notice. Key details, such as the total cost of the contract to taxpayers, the length of the service agreement, and specific performance requirements, have not been made public. The city's announcement also does not name the previous solid waste contractor or provide an official rationale for making the change. The absence of this information in the public record prevents scrutiny of the process for awarding the city-wide service contract. ## Key Service Details for Residents Remain Unpublished The city’s February 20 announcement creates an information gap for residents by referring to a document that is not publicly available. The notice directs residents to a separate document for specific details on new collection schedules. The city explicitly states that pickup days may be changing, making this attachment the primary source for essential service information. However, this referenced document was not included with the public announcement. As a result, residents were informed of a definite change in provider and a potential change to their collection schedules less than two weeks before the new service was set to begin, but the document containing the necessary details was not provided. This omission leaves residents without the specific operational details affecting their households.