Both Anoka and Mounds View are asking voters in Tuesday's election to weigh in on how their trash gets collected.

The results will determine whether the cities keep their current systems, where residents individually contract with licensed haulers to pick up waste, or move to a city-organized collection system.

Residents in both places have already approved measures requiring a city charter amendment for such a switch. With the measures on the ballot, the debate over who should hire a hauler is proving contentious, with the cities and haulers tangling in court and tens of thousands of dollars of campaign spending by opponents of the measures.

Advocates of organized trash pickup argue that moving to a single waste company will ensure there's consistent pricing across the city, reduce noise and cut down on the number of garbage trucks on the street.

But trash haulers have pushed back, arguing residents should get to choose who picks up their trash in the open market.

Anoka

Anoka has four licensed companies hauling trash in the city. If the ballot initiative passes, the city has negotiated a contract with ACE Solid Waste to be its lone hauler. A household's weekly service for a 90-gallon cart would cost $16.80 per month.

Despite that, ACE opposes the change, arguing against eliminating competition in the city and against the government setting the terms of the service. David Wiggins, government affairs manager for ACE, said financially, moving to a citywide contract "is kind of a wash" for the company.

"We want to earn our customers' business every week by doing a good job," Wiggins said. "And frankly, if our customers don't think we're doing a good job they should be able to fire me and go with someone else. If the government does that for them, they lose their ability to do that."

The city of Anoka declined to comment for this story.

Garbage Haulers for Citizen Choice, a political committee backed by many area haulers that opposes the cities' efforts to organize collection, spent more than $18,000 in Anoka on four mailings and signs opposing organized collection between late September and late October. Neighbors for Organized Hauling, a group advocating for a yes vote, reported spending $573 on postage in October.

Mounds View

In Mounds View, the city website says that under a city-negotiated contract with Lakeshore Recycling Systems, weekly pick-up for a 95-gallon trash bin would cost $81.17 quarterly, or about $27 per month.

"If we, as a community, value price transparency, certainly the organized collection contract offers that," Mounds View Mayor Zach Lindstrom said.

John Kysylyczyn, the executive director of Garbage Haulers for Citizen Choice, disputed the city's claims that organized collection would lead to less wear on roads — and raised questions about resident choice.

"What you're actually voting on is, do you want to give government, permanently, the authority to take over management of the solid waste system?" he said, arguing the government will decide which hauler, services and price residents will pay.

Garbage Haulers for Citizen Choice spent $13,900 on mailers and signage in Mounds View, according to documents provided by the committee. Some haulers have also sent letters to customers.

Messaging in the Mounds View election has been a subject of contention between the city and Garbage Haulers for Citizen Choice. The committee filed a complaint alleging city-funded materials about the ballot question promoted a "yes" vote, triggering campaign finance rules. An administrative law judge dismissed the complaint, but Kysylyczyn said the committee disagrees with that decision and may consider next steps.