Marshall, Texas Waste Franchise & Dumpster Restriction Tracker

Marshall’s Code of Ordinances (Chapter 14, Ord. O-03-03) makes the city/its designated agent — Republic Services — the EXCLUSIVE provider of residential and commercial garbage, recycling, and construction-debris collection; § 14-5 requires exclusive use of the city’s service, and § 14-3 sets penalties up to $2,000. An operator reports the exclusivity forces customers to Republic at higher prices and slower service, and that the steep penalties create fear of choosing a local provider.

County

Harrison County

Population

Approx. 23,000 (needs verification)

Provider / franchise holder

Republic Services (city designated/exclusive provider)

Parent company

Republic Services, Inc.

Agreement type

Exclusive solid waste arrangement (Chapter 14; Ord. O-03-03)

Exclusive status

Exclusive

Franchise fee

Source pending.

Freedom Index rating

🔴 Exclusive Market

Roll-off dumpsters mentioned

Yes

Temporary waste mentioned

Yes

Self-haul exception

Needs verification

City authorization required

Yes — a city contract/franchise is required to haul (per report/ordinance)

Per the City of Marshall Code of Ordinances (quoted by the operator): § 14-4 makes the city and/or its designated agent the EXCLUSIVE provider of residential and commercial garbage, recycling, construction debris, and refuse collection within the city, and unlawful for anyone to provide such service for compensation without an approved city service agreement. § 14-5 requires occupants to use the city’s designated service exclusively. § 14-3 sets penalties (a misdemeanor) up to $2,000. Republic Services is the city’s provider.

Relevant location: Chapter 14 — Garbage, Trash and Weeds · § 14-4 (Authorized collector — exclusive provider); § 14-3 (Penalty up to $2,000); § 14-5 (mandatory use)

Code of Ordinances Municode

Marshall’s ordinance designates the city/its agent (Republic Services) as the exclusive provider; obtain the service agreement for terms.

Construction dumpsters included: Yes.

Per § 14-4, the city/its designated agent is the exclusive provider of residential and commercial garbage, recycling, and construction-debris collection; it is unlawful to provide such service for compensation without a city service agreement.

First-hand accounts from dumpster operators who say they were enforced against in this city. Reporters are kept anonymous unless they chose to be identified.

1. Operator A

   Marshall’s exclusive agreement effectively forces residents and contractors to use Republic Services for dumpster needs. In our experience this means higher prices, less flexible scheduling, slower response times, and money leaving the local economy to an out-of-state corporation. The penalty for choosing a different provider — a misdemeanor and fines up to $2,000 per day — is excessive and creates an environment of fear. (We raised these concerns with the city in writing in April 2025.)

Status:

News coverage and published reporting that specifically references this city’s waste ordinance, franchise, or dumpster rules.

• City of Marshall adopts new once a week trash pickup ordinance
  Marshall News Messenger · 2019-01-15

  Marshall commissioners adopted a replacement ordinance switching trash pickup to once a week as the city moved to Republic Services' cart-based collection.

• Marshall announces changes to city's trash pick up
  CBS19 (KYTX) · 2019-01-18

  TV coverage of Marshall's switch to Republic Services and the new once-a-week cart collection schedule.

• City of Marshall Code of Ordinances, Chapter 14 (§§ 14-3 to 14-5; Ord. O-03-03)OrdinanceConfirmed by ordinance
• Operator report submitted to the Texas Waste Freedom ProjectField reportField report only

Confidence level: Confirmed by ordinance · Verification status: Chapter 14 ('Garbage, Trash and Weeds') and Republic Services as the sole city-contracted hauler (billed on the city utility bill) confirmed via the city's official solid waste page. The specific § 14-3/§ 14-4/§ 14-5 numbers and the $2,000 penalty are as quoted by the reporting operator and await direct confirmation against the live code.

Have a correction, a source document, or first-hand experience with dumpster rules in Marshall? Help us verify this record.