The City of Middletown, N.Y., is debating whether to invest $2.1 million to streamline refuse collection services and cut the workforce or privatize the service, the Times Herald-Record reported.

Mayor Joe DeStefano calls for buying three new trucks for $900,000 — the trucks would have a mechanical arm attachment that will reduce the amount of workers needed on a route from three to one, allowing the city to reduce its workforce through attrition. It also recommends purchasing new containers for recycling, for a cost of $1.2 million.

The plan to privatize trash collection comes from an alderman and is estimated to save the city up to $1 million per year without additional purchases. This plan has been condemned by the union that represents city sanitation workers, but the city expects to issue a request for proposals to get a better cost estimate, according to the newspaper.