Justin Federico and his family left Manchester five years ago for the quieter small-town charm of Allenstown, attracted by the promise of a community offering all the essential services they needed, including curbside trash pickup.

But now, he’s wondering whether Allenstown was the right place to settle down.

Earlier this month, the town’s board of selectmen voted to end curbside trash collection and stop accepting solid waste at the town’s transfer station. The decision wasn’t unanimous—three of the five board members voted in favor, sparking backlash across town.

Starting May 17, Allenstown residents will have two options: pay out-of-pocket for private waste haulers to pick up their trash or haul their garbage to Concord’s transfer station, which is about a half-hour round trip from town hall.

“It’s an inconvenience. This is a responsibility that I’ve already paid for,” Federico said. “It’s not my job to do this, and that’s going to cost us roughly an additional $500 or more per year.”

The decision comes after voters rejected the proposed budget during March Town Meeting, triggering a leaner default budget of $5.5 million— $657,000 less than what town officials had hoped to get approved.

With less money to work with, the town had to make cuts somewhere.

Scott McDonald, chair of the Board of Selectmen, said the decision came after consulting with department heads. Cutting from the police or fire departments would have directly impacted essential public safety services.

“We didn’t think it prudent to take money and degrade our safety services for trash pickup,” said McDonald. “Trash pickup, we’ve had it for what seems like forever. It’s a convenience, but it is not an essential service.”

By eliminating solid waste services, the town saved $337,000, but officials must still find other areas to reduce spending to make up the rest of the budget gap.

Many Allenstown residents haven’t taken the decision lightly.

Elizabeth Neveu said that for many residents like her, traveling to another town’s dump isn’t a realistic option.

“I have to catch a ride. I can’t put my garbage on my back and carry it,” said Neveu. “There are other people too. I’m not the only one that don’t drive.”

The town’s waste collection and disposal are managed through a contract with Casella Waste Systems.

“This is not right. People cannot get to the dump,” said Neveu. “I think there’s going to be a major problem, and people are going to start throwing the trash everywhere. I might be able to arrange to put my trash in somebody else’s trash, but there’s nothing I can do.”

‘Anger and backlash’

Kathleen Pelissier, a select board member who voted against scrapping trash service, is leading the charge to bring it back.

She’s rallying support for a petition that would restore funding for trash pickup at next year’s town meeting. She’s collectged about 400 signatures so far.

She said that if all departments had reduced spending in areas that wouldn’t significantly impact their ability to provide services, the town could have preserved solid waste services.

One proposal Pelissier hopes to get approved next year, is to set aside $450,000 specifically to fund solid waste services. She thinks it would be best to be a specific warrant article as opposed to part of the budget.

Frustrated and upset about losing trash service, residents have turned to social media to voice their concerns and push back against the three select board members — McDonald, Diane Adinolfo and Laura Lambert—who voted to eliminate trash pickup.

“It’s really sad because there are a few of us who are really nervous for our physical safety,” said McDonald. “There’s been some things said out there that are really edgy, and it’s unfortunate.”

Tensions have also been high at recent select board meetings.

Pelissier has faced criticism from fellow members who say her social media posts have stirred personal attacks.

But, she said she uses the platform to share information and help people better understand issues. While she tries not to influence others’ decisions directly, she isn’t afraid to express her support or opposition to the choices being made.

“I think that the board is threatened by my social media use,” said Pelissier. “I unfortunately think the board has a skewed perception that there has been a lot of anger and backlash at the decision that they’ve made, and because I am involved on social media, they incorrectly seem to think that’s the cause.”

Even though the transfer station will stop taking trash next month, it’s not closing entirely.

It will remain open for yard waste disposal, and a list of accepted recyclables will be posted soon on the town’s website so residents know what they can still drop off.

Sruthi Gopalakrishnan can be reached at sgopalakrishnan@cmonitor.com. Subscribe to her Trash Talk newsletter for more reporting on the environment and solid waste.