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The possibility of creating some sort of discount to the trash collection tax for certain income brackets will be an item of discussion for an Augusta Commission committee Monday.

Some constituents are asking to be billed monthly, and others are asking whether there is any kind of senior citizen discount, as is the case with many private haulers.

''I wanted to try to come up with some criteria to help people on a limited income with their fee,'' said Commissioner Jerry Brigham, who placed the item on the agenda of the commission's administrative services committee meeting, scheduled for 2 p.m. Monday.

Many private trash haulers offer a senior citizen's discount of about 10 percent and also allow monthly payments.

''We do that for them just to help them out,'' said Peggy Holl, a customer service representative for Waste Management sanitation service.

But there could be legal barriers to the city giving a discount on a tax assessment, Mr. Brigham said.

And the tax commissioner's office, which is charged with adding the solid waste collection fee to property tax bills, does not have the computer capabilities to send out monthly bills, Tax Commissioner Jerry Saul said.

''We don't send out monthly bills for taxes, therefore we can't send out monthly bills for garbage collection,'' he said.

The charge for city service is $195 and will be assessed to new customers as a line-item charge on annual property tax bills.

''It's very frustrating to listen to some of these tales we listen to and not be able to help some of these people,'' Mr. Brigham said.

''We'd like to try to help, but it seems like the kind of situation where it appears we can't.''

Reach Heidi Coryell at (706) 823-3215.