JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The Jacksonville City Council is considering legislation that would raise trash fees for homeowners.
Councilman Matt Carlucci said the increase tackles a growing debt for a solid waste loan that helps pay for garbage collection.
“If Baldwin and the beaches can pay a garbage fee, if every city in Florida can pay a garbage fee, I think Jacksonville can,” he said. “And I just know that it’s the fiduciary thing to do.”
The debt is expected to grow to $500 million by fiscal year 2031-2032.
“This is kind of the elephant in the room that nobody wants to talk about, and so I decided to talk about it,” Carlucci said. “If we pay a garbage fee like every other city does, that will put an additional $40 million into our solid waste fee, and we won’t have to worry about trash not being picked up.”
The current monthly trash fee is $12.65. Here are the rates the city council proposes:
- $27.00 a month in 2025
- $29.50 a month in 2026
- $32.00 a month in 2027
The city’s garbage fee hasn’t changed since 2010, even as service costs have doubled.
However, not all council members are in favor. Rules Committee Chairman Nick Howland expressed concerns over increasing the financial burden on residents.
“It’s not like we’ve not asked them to give more each year,” Howland said. “So while I actually really admire the folks who’ve been instrumental in creating this legislation, for right now I’m a no.”
During Rules Committee on Monday Councilman Rahman Johnson said this legislation has been a long time coming.
“There’s nothing else that we’ve done for over a decade that doesn’t cost more now than it did then, and so I think we’ve done the hard work to find a responsible way of making this happen,” Johnson said.
To address concerns about affordability, Carlucci introduced a companion bill offering assistance to those in need. The committee revised proposal exempts low-income residents from the fee increase, requiring them to pay the current rate of $120 annually if eligible.
“They’ll have to reapply every year, because you never know where income may go,” Carlucci noted.
He acknowledged the financial strain on residents due to inflation.
“Some folks, if they’re eligible, can get assistance,” Carlucci said. “To those that may not qualify but are still in that range, that’s tough. I get it. I’m not tone deaf to that, but this loan and its weight are keeping us from providing our community with the services that a lot of these lower-income people need.”
The legislation must pass two more committees before next Tuesday’s council vote. If approved, the rate will be advertised to affected homeowners, followed by a public hearing and legislation to set the rate increase.
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