Many communities across the country find themselves in Warren’s position with Waste Management Inc.

Inflation and higher costs for the company are prompting higher costs as old contracts are replaced with new ones. In Warren that means a bid from Waste Management that increases curbside recycling costs on city residents from $3.50 a month to $6.29 a month. The city’s costs would also increase by about $80,000.

A phased increase in costs would have been preferable, particularly since inflation is hitting all consumers hard right now. But the city has benefited from having a lower locked in rate the last two years when Waste Management dealt with higher costs and didn’t ask for a rate increase.

City Council members are looking to keep the rate increase as low as possible for city residents by seeking a rate extension for the current bid through the council’s October meeting and re-bid the contract for a one-year term in hopes that inflationary pressures ease and prices come back down. The council is doing the right thing, in our view, trying to lessen the financial hit on city residents.

But, ultimately, market forces are likely to win out. Sooner or later, we’re going to have to pay the piper — and like everything else these days, the piper’s costs are going up.