Mayor Breanna Lungo-Koehn’s new plan to reduce trash pickup in Medford, Massachusetts to once every two weeks has left residents frustrated and enraged. While the city celebrates environmental awards and grant money, many residents are asking a more urgent question: what about the rats, the smell, and the overflowing garbage?

This policy, announced alongside a $200,000 “Pay As You Throw” grant, slashes basic sanitation services in half. The change was quietly buried at the bottom of a press release, and now it is the community that is left to deal with the consequences.

Residents are already dealing with an increase in rodent sightings and are concerned that less frequent trash pickup will only make things worse. Local exterminators are seeing more business, and families are worried about how they will manage smelly garbage during hot summers and in dense neighborhoods.

Even Medford’s City Council President Zac Bears criticized the plan, saying the city has not provided data showing this is a good idea. He noted that the way this change was announced, hidden in a press release, shows how out of touch the administration is with day-to-day concerns.

We are calling on Mayor Breanna Lungo-Koehn to:

• Reverse the decision to reduce trash pickup to twice a month
• Conduct a public health impact review before making sanitation cuts
• Increase transparency by clearly notifying residents of any proposed changes
• Develop sustainable waste reduction strategies that do not sacrifice basic services

Sustainability should not come at the expense of sanitation. The people of Medford deserve clean neighborhoods, rodent-free streets, and honest communication from their leaders.

Sign this petition to demand that Medford restore weekly trash pickup and put public health first.

Photo Credit: New York Post