Why isnt it to my advantage to insist on getting as many free services as possible from the Town?
Town services are never free — you pay for them through the tax levy. Each year, Town government decides what services will be provided, the Town budget reflects the costs of those services, and the taxpayers get the resulting bill. The idea that trash disposal is or ever was free is an illusion resulting from the fact that its simply not spelled out on your tax bill. (Neither, for that matter, is the cost of having a police force, a fire department, a school system, etc.) One of the reasons that PAYT works is that it makes it clear to everyone that additional trash generation and disposal costs money. Some people find this realization painful, but for most residents, PAYT will cost them less than the current $175 per year trash fee.
