A county commission will likely vote Wednesday whether to place
a 25 cent fee on paper and plastic retail bags after members hear
from residents, businesses and cities that have been cool toward
the idea.
A county commission will likely vote Wednesday whether to place a 25 cent fee on paper and plastic retail bags after members hear from residents, businesses and cities that have been cool toward the idea.
Councilwoman Cat Tucker represents Gilroy on the 10-member Santa Clara County Recycling and Waste Reduction Commission, which will meet 5:15 p.m. Wednesday at 1555 Berger Drive, Building 2, in San Jose. County staff have favored stricter bag rules, but the body postponed a December vote after much controversy. This time around, commissioners could send staffers back to the drawing board or forward a recommendation to the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors and the county’s 15 cities, which would need to pass their own respective bans for anything to become law.
Last July, the Gilroy City Council voted 5-2 to support the Santa Clara County Cities Association single-use plastic bag proposal. Councilmen Dion Bracco and Craig Gartman voted no, but Tucker said she voted with the majority to simply explore the issue that she has since decided against.
“The need to reduce waste is true, but in this economy, businesses cannot afford to have such legislation against them, and for consumers – it’s something we don’t need at this point either,” Tucker said Monday.
