The DeKalb City Council should keep three factors in mind when they formulate a new proposal for city trash collection services: Economy, flexibility and the environment.

The factors are best considered in that order.

In light of the still-shaky economy, with 8 percent unemployment and many people working in lower-paying jobs than they had before the start of the Great Recession, now’s not the time to create a “Cadillac plan” for trash collection. Citizens want a deal that won’t come with a fresh hit to their wallets. We have other things we need to spend our money on, and in many households there’s less of it.