Mayor Tom Henry’s handling of the city garbage contract could well become the defining moment of his administration – and this is not good for the mayor. With virtually no public debate, the city is on the verge of a monumental shift in how residents’ garbage is handled. Though the administration has put the awarding of the city garbage and recycling collection contract on hold, it has yet to announce any course of action other than its plan to award the most expensive city contract – about $9 million a year – to a startup company that apparently has yet to buy any garbage trucks.

Rather than dump the garbage in the local landfill, the new contractor, Earth First, would take the trash to a building on Pontiac Street owned by the mayor’s brother, Jerry, and then haul it in semi-trucks to Portland. Jerry Henry also owns part of Earth First. (The company should not be confused with Earth First!, a fringe environmental group that has been described as radical and even as a terrorist group. Not the greatest of names for a new trash hauler.)

So far, the process exemplifies this administration’s real and perceived shortcomings. The necessary transparency is missing, which has become all too characteristic of the Henry administration. Though political opponents have stirred baseless rumors about Jerry Henry benefiting from Tom Henry’s position, the awarding of this contract would give credibility to those attacks.

While the administration flounders, the current contractor, National Serv-All, has a blue-ribbon team taking its case to the City Council and directly to residents. It includes attorney Mark GiaQuinta, a former Democratic City Council member, as well as the law firm of Beers, Mallers, Backs & Salin, which has strong Republican ties. The politically connected Asher Agency is helping with public relations.

With Henry on the verge of making a huge political error, National Serv-All has offered him a generous gift, particularly for a company the administration has blatantly dissed: Extend the trash contract with National Serv-All for two years at current rates.

If Henry does that, he could establish the process he should have launched to begin with: Create a team that includes citizens representing neighborhoods and environmental issues joining with city officials to draw specifications for a bidding or request-for-proposal process. Have that team study the requests/bids, vet the proposed contractors and recommend who should provide the service. Henry, knowing his brother may well be involved with the bid, should not be.

This would occur in the heat of the 2011 mayoral election campaign. If done right, it would give Henry some credibility that he desperately needs. If done wrong, it will badly hurt his re-election chances.

Tom Henry has long had the reputation as a fair, caring politician, and Jerry Henry is one of the city’s most successful and respected entrepreneurs. Unfortunately, Tom Henry is also gaining a reputation for lack of transparency and stubbornness, and unless he turns around this garbage contract, the poorly handled process will characterize his administration for many voters.