A Look Back at 2025: Piqua's Trash Debate
Vol. III, No. 205 - Revisiting a Reversed Decision
As we enter the last few days of 2025, it is appropriate to take a look back at some of the most interesting stories covered here at Civic Capacity this past year. Some of these stories show the power civic participation; citizens coming together to work towards much needed change in their community. Other stories, well, they almost leave one shaking their own head. Today is one of those stories.
Few local issues captured as much attention earlier in the year than the Piqua City Commission’s long, complicated journey on the city’s trash collection services. What began as a routine conversation about cost and efficiency turned into a truth-is-stranger-than-fiction saga that revealed how fragile public trust can be when process and perception collide.
Back in January, the Commission faced a big decision: should Piqua keep its trash collection in-house or contract the work out to Rumpke Waste and Recycling? On paper, Rumpke’s proposal offered stability—five years of predictable rates, bulk pickup, and even the same routes residents were used to. City staff said the private contract would save a little money over time and offered assurances that current sanitation workers would keep their pay and benefits by transferring to other departments. The Commission weighed every angle—service quality, job security, long-term costs—and, after an open and transparent debate, voted narrowly, 3–2, to keep the service in-house. It was democracy in action: a tough but thoughtful decision that reflected both public input and detailed staff work.
But just a week later, everything changed. In a surprising reversal, the Commission brought the issue back for another vote. This time, under pressure from what city officials called a “crisis plan,” the 3–2 margin flipped—and the contract with Rumpke passed. The sudden turnaround left many residents confused and frustrated. Critics questioned why a settled decision was reopened so quickly and who had the authority to prompt such reconsideration. The “crisis plan,” which portrayed dire consequences if the city did not outsource, felt to some like a manipulation of the process rather than a true emergency.
Observers, including Civic Capacity readers, pointed out deeper issues. The administration’s handling of the situation raised tough questions about transparency, accountability, and the duty of public officials to fully inform and include residents in major decisions. Some saw the rapid reversal as the city’s response to staffing challenges that had gone unaddressed for years. Others believed it exposed a breakdown in trust between city management and both the community and the Commission. Whatever the reasoning, it was clear that the process—not just the outcome—had shaken confidence in local government.
By early February, voices from the community, including former residents, added new layers to the story. They described the city’s timing of job postings, shifting financial projections, and the withdrawal of alternative proposals as signs that the outsourcing outcome may have been preplanned all along by the city administration and nothing was going to stop them from getting their way. While many agreed that outsourcing made practical sense, the sense of fairness and honesty in how the decision was reached left a lasting scar.
The Piqua sanitation story stands out because it wasn’t just about trash. It was about governance, communication, and trust. It served as a reminder that how leaders make decisions matters just as much as the decisions themselves. For cities everywhere, the lesson from Piqua is timeless: transparency builds trust and confidence, and even small cracks in trust can ripple far beyond the issue at hand.
A New Handbook to grow Civic Capacity!
Recently, we created a new digital handbook, “The Citizen’s Guide to Public Records”. This handbook is designed to help residents have a better understanding of public meetings and meeting records. It’s filled with templates, ideas and other information that will open a new world of public affairs.
Also, if you have ideas for future handbooks, please let us know at pinnaclestrategiesltd@gmail.com.
Want to Learn More About Troy’s Businesses?
Our publication has recently released our September 2025 Economic Abstract, the most comprehensive and up-to-date report on the businesses and industries in the City of Troy. For those that want to understand our community’s business and industries, this is a must-have report.
Thank you to our New Media Partners!
Recently, many of our stories has been showing up on the local news website, www.mymiamicounty.com. We are grateful for the good folks for sharing our work with their audience and we would encourage our readers to check them out at their website!
Our publication would also like to recognize the good work being done at www.piquanewsnow.com. Piqua News Now is a new web-based news and information site for the Miami County area, with a specific focus on Piqua!
In addition, the good folks at Piqua News Now have started a new, 24-hour streaming YouTube channel. This channel is awesome with continuous weather updates and more importanly, it provides a 24-hour audio feed from county wide dispatch. Check it out here!
You Can Help Support This Work!
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Civic Capacity is partnering with “Buy Me A Coffee” to give our readers, subscribers and friends an opportunity to give one-time support to Civic Capacity. Personally, I don’t like coffee, but I will never turn down a nice iced tea. If you feel compelled to support this effort, just click the button below. In other words, this is an online tip jar.
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