MARION – The Marion Board of Selectmen have a decision to make – should Marion start outsourcing trash pick-up?

The question has come up as the Department of Public Works continues to pour money into the upkeep and maintenance of the town’s primary trash pickup truck.

“All of our equipment is in a serious state of disrepair,” Town Administrator Paul Dawson said. “We need to think about what we’re going to do about it.”

A new truck that doesn’t use the newer technology would cost upwards of $250,000, while a new truck that is higher tech would cost between $400,000-$450,000, with savings on the labor side of things. Regardless of which truck the town bought, it would also have to pay for maintenance.

The selectmen aren’t certain exactly how much curbside pick-up would cost to outsource, but decided to go ahead and authorize the issuance of a request for proposal to see what the prices would look like.