JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – To address a growing financial deficit in Jacksonville’s trash collection services, City Councilman Matt Carlucci is pushing to raise garbage fees for homeowners.
Carlucci introduced a bill that would more than double the current fees.
Right now, homeowners pay about $12.65 a month in solid waste fees, which adds up to about $150 a year.
That number, which is part of your property tax bill, hasn’t changed since 2010, even though the cost of services have more than doubled in that time.
The new price would jump to $30.40 per month under Carlucci’s proposal.
During the pandemic, Jacksonville faced significant challenges with waste collection, including worker shortages. As a result, wages went up for trash haulers in Jacksonville, with the city raising pay for some workers by nearly 45%, and Waste Management raising pay by 33%.
To cover the gap, the city of Jacksonville has borrowed tens of millions of dollars from its general fund.
“That could be used for better parks, more water and sewer line extensions, more roads and streets, better drainage, downtown development...you name it,” Carlucci said.
According to the Council Auditor’s Office, the debt associated with garbage collection has grown significantly, with the city expected to borrow nearly $36 million this fiscal year. CAO projections indicate the total debt will rise to approximately $95 million by late September 2025.
“We don’t want to saddle our future generations with that,” Carlucci said. “It’s a big mess.”
Carlucci says the solution is gradually raising the cost of service for homeowners to help pay off that debt.
“My goal here is just to address the issue, try to build consensus on a way to handle the problem,” Carlucci said. “Because if we don’t, the loans just gonna keep growing like you wouldn’t believe.”
He noted that the borrowing mechanism is considered a loan because the beaches communities and Baldwin independently fund their own trash services.
Carlucci drafted two versions of this bill. The second version includes financial assistance for low-income households to help pay for garbage fees.
A homeowner with an income level within 150% of the federal poverty guidelines would not have to pay the fee.
The bill also proposes that the city will determine a solid waste assessment during the annual city budget.
Carlucci expects the bill could be ready for a final vote as soon as February.