The Vicksburg Board of Mayor and Aldermen has decided to keep doing business with Waste Management, agreeing to a six-year contract with the garbage and trash collection company.

The city’s current 10-year contract with the Houston, Texas-based firm had been set to expire in six days.

The board voted 2-0 in favor of the contract at a special meeting Friday night. The decision came hours after the board had tabled the agreement at their regular meeting Friday morning.

Mayor Paul Winfield, who had opposed the Waste Management contract, was out of town Friday evening, said city clerk Walter Osborne.

“I believe there are better alternatives,” the mayor said Friday morning, “but I’m going to work with whoever gets the contract.”

The new agreement means a savings of about $430,000 a year, Winfield said.

Waste Management will collect and dispose of garbage twice a week at a rate of $11.16 per household and small business per month. The current rate is $19.95 per month for twice-a-week collection.

Also, the company will collect and dispose of garbage four times a week for businesses in Vicksburg’s business district for $25 per business per month.

Waste Management was one of three companies competing for the city’s business. Waste Pro of Mississippi Inc. of Jackson, which serves several cities across the state, had bid on garbage collection, while Riverbend Environmental Services of Fayette bid on waste disposal.

“I met with people from all sides,” North Ward Aldermen Michael Mayfield said Friday evening. “At one time Waste Management was lower, then Waste Pro was lower.

“I tried to make sure before I did anything that what I was doing was right and fair for the citizens of Vicksburg,” he said. “I can’t find anything in the numbers that would make me want to change from the company we have now.”

City purchasing director Tim Smith said Waste Management’s $11.16 residential bid includes two parts, $8.61 per household per month for collection and $2.55 per household per month for disposal. Waste Pro’s residential bid was $8.64. Both companies bid $25 for business district collections, Smith said, adding that the Waste Management bid also includes the $2.55 disposal. Riverbend, he said, bid a flat rate of $28.75 per ton for disposal.

Outside the city limits, some Warren County residents also use Waste Management. Others use one of five independent, family-run haulers. All use Waste Management’s transfer station on U.S. 61 South.

The city and county earlier this year had talked about combining garbage-hauling contracts under one carrier.

Reached Friday night, Richard George, president of the Warren County Board of Supervisors, said the county had been waiting to see what the city would do.

“Now that we know what the city has done, we will be able to move forward,” he said, but gave no details.

The city had been prepared to go with Waste Management Friday morning, but tabled action after the two competing companies criticized the selection process.