Waste tax hike in Assemini. Waste tax bills are fueling discontent in the town on the outskirts of the capital, with increases that, in several cases, are as high as 15%, according to Mayor Mario Puddu himself. And in a motion, the Five Star Movement 2050 indicates an estimated average increase of around 17% and calls on the municipal administration to intervene to reduce the tax burden in 2027 .
Faced with protests, the mayor chose to publicly explain the reasons for the increases, citing the increased costs burdening the municipal waste service. "I've read the protests and I understand the discontent. No one is happy about paying higher taxes, especially at a time when the cost of living continues to weigh on families ," Puddu stated.
The mayor noted that the Tari ( waste tax) is intended to cover the costs of waste collection, transportation, treatment, and disposal, as well as street cleaning. "And unfortunately, these costs have increased significantly," he stated, citing increases in fuel, energy, and street sweeping costs, as well as higher personnel costs related to the renewal of national contracts . Among the factors impacting spending, Puddu also cited the difficulties of regional waste treatment plants: "Added to this are the difficulties of Tecnocasic, which on several occasions have made it necessary to dispose of waste in alternative facilities, at significantly higher costs."
Another issue addressed by the mayor is waste tax evasion, which impacts the distribution of costs among taxpayers. "There are citizens who pay regularly and others who, despite being required to do so, don't. This is a situation we cannot accept, first and foremost for the sake of fairness towards those who follow the rules," he stated.
The administration has initiated debt collection efforts and, with the new contract, plans to monitor and update utilities to identify those that are not properly registered. Puddu also acknowledged the presence of critical issues with the service: "I am well aware that one of the most frequent objections concerns the inefficiencies and poor service that, unfortunately, still occur in waste collection."
For this reason, the mayor is encouraging residents to report problems, allowing the Municipality to intervene and challenge any noncompliance with the company responsible. "Your reports are important because they allow us not only to intervene to resolve the problems, but also to formally challenge the noncompliance with the company managing the service." Other announced measures include urging the Region and Tecnocasic to make the treatment system more reliable and less costly, combating waste dumping in the countryside, and evaluating a video surveillance system . The mayor also announced that Assemini will be eligible for a regional grant to mitigate the costs of the service for the three-year period 2026-2028.
On the political front, the Five Star Movement 2050 Assemini proposes direct intervention on utility bills. The motion, presented on October 17, 2025, by group leader Diego Corrias, calls for an extraordinary reduction in the 2027 Tari tax of at least 17%, for both domestic and non-domestic users .
The document highlights how the tax increases come amid an already challenging environment for families and businesses, struggling with rising electricity and gas bills, rent, mortgages, and the cost of basic necessities. The motion also raises criticisms about the quality of the municipal waste management service, citing the problems with the municipal waste management center, the difficulties in planning and monitoring the service, and the delay in awarding the new contract.
According to the Five Star Movement (M5S), the Municipality should combine cost-containment initiatives with extraordinary taxpayer support measures. In this regard, the Movement cites the measures adopted during the Covid emergency to support productive activities. The movement requests an urgent meeting of the City Council to discuss the 17% reduction in 2027 and to introduce a further reduction mechanism should the service's economic and financial plan show further abnormal increases.