Lexington County residents could soon see a new and improved trash collection plan.

At the Oct. 8 meeting, Lexington County Council agreed to consider creating a special tax district in the unincorporated areas of the county that would provide trash collection services to all residents. Currently, those residents pay for trash collection services through a vendor service, or dispose of their own trash. A lot of complaints about the vendor services sparked the council to consider the new district, which would provide similar services as those in the towns and cities of Lexington.

Council Vice Chairman Darrell Hudson said he has received “a ton of complaints” about the current services.

At the Oct. 8 meeting, the proposal received first reading approval by a 5-2 vote, with council members Beth Carrigg, Todd Cullum, Darrell Hudson, Glenn Conwell and Bimbo Jones voting in favor. Council members Charli Wessinger and Larry Brigham voted against the measure.

A public hearing is scheduled for November.

Hudson said he has not yet decided where he stands on the issue and will make his decision based on what he hears from citizens.

“I will vote for what our citizens want,” he said.

County officials confirmed to council members that residents throughout the county are constantly complaining about the present services. Many residents say there is no regular schedule for pickup, and yard wastes are often ignored.

Residents would face a yearly fee for the new services. Richland County currently charges $368 a year for complete services.

The last time Lexington County considered a countywide program, in 2021, the estimated annual cost was $258 per household.