Priority Waste has won a one-year extension from Waterford Township despite early concerns about customer service.

“I’ve got to say, you are 100% improved from the rocky start when you took over,” said Township Supervisor Anthony Bartolotta. “You guys have done a lot better in the last couple weeks, too.”

Priority purchased 72 Green for Life (GFL) municipal waste-hauling contracts and equipment in May 2024 and a bumpy transition ensued. In Waterford, yard waste was left for weeks at a time. Hundreds of customers called township offices to complain about missed pick-up dates and billing issues and other issues.

Priority officials at the time said they were beset with problems related to GFL trucks and other equipment, as well as a new automated phone system that was overwhelmed by calls.

Priority’s vice president of municipal sales, Dan Venet, said the fleet was significantly improved and the company had more time to work on vehicle maintenance once the compost pick-up season ended. He said the company expects to add 35 new trucks but could not say where they would be assigned.

Township trustees voted unanimously to extend the contract for one year through March 31, 2026. The only change is that trustees negotiated a rate freeze for customers, Bartolotta told The Oakland Press.

The average bill residents pay is about $41 each quarter or nearly $165 a year. People who add recycling pick-up services pay just under $225 a year.

The only issue that remains, according to Bartolotta, is Priority’s automated phone system.

“They’re still tweaking it,” he said. “Basically everything else is running really smoothly.”

Still, the township will seek proposals from waste haulers in June or July to see what other companies can offer.

“We have checked with other waste haulers and I’m impressed with the competition,” Bartolotta said. “We’ll see what happens when the bids come back.”

Visit the website for rates and answers to frequently asked questions www.waterfordmi.gov/trash.