(By Coleen Harry, WBTV)

May 11 public hearing on the proposed City budget:

Only nine people signed up to speak. Six showed up. Which is why a Charlotte city council member said she concerned about the lack of public engagement in the critical budget discussion.

The speakers who showed up Monday night covered a range of topics.

For Sustain Charlotte, the concern is waste removal and the proposed to eliminate the annual $47 fee and turn into a part of the property tax.

The organization believes the city should charge people for that they throw out.

"In fact, replacing our current flat annual fee for a higher property tax to raise revenue needed for the waste collection and disposal makes the true costs of waste service invisible to residents," Shannon Binns of Sustain Charlotte said. "We urge you to implement variable rate pricing."

Binns believes the pay for what you throw plan would raise more money for the city.

"This approach is not only more economically efficient but it is also more equitable as those who choose to reduce their waste are not only subsidizing those who choose not to do so, it is more transparent," Binns said.

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