Mayor Donna Deegan veteoed a bill that would have given more money to Meridian Waste.
Published on January 13, 2025 at 5:24 pm
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Mayor Donna Deegan has vetoed a bill that would have given Meridian Waste a 29% financial increase that would not have included additional services for taxpayers.
Ordinance #2024-800, also dubbed the “Cash for Trash” bill, allowed the waste management company to receive an additional $4 million per year over the next three years on top of increases built into the existing contract.
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“In vetoing this bill, I am holding true to my commitment to be fiscally responsible and always seek return on investment for our citizens,” Deegan said in a news release Monday.
The city initially agreed to a 5% increase with Meridian Waste because of rising costs, but City Council passed the increase bill in December against the advice of the council auditors and the opposition of the administration, the city said.
“Council went far further than that, against the auditors, but not only does this pay for … other expenses that have absolutely nothing to do with the operation of our trash hauling,” Deegan said.
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The mayor’s office said taxpayers wouldn’t have seen additional services for the increased cost. The money would have paid for “non-operating expenses, including lobbyist fees, employee appreciation cookouts and gift cards, local sponsorships and donations,” she said
The mayor also noted there have been no issues with the company’s operations as she described the services as a “fantastic job.”
“We don’t have any problem with that,” Deegan said. “We’re prepared to honor the contract.”
“I think it’s a bad message to send to the taxpayers to say we can’t afford to spend adequately on affordable housing and homelessness,” she said. “But we can take $4 million out of our precious reserves that we were told should not be touched to award more money to trash hauler than they were awarded in their contract — a contract they agreed to.”
The city said this was the mayor’s first veto under her administration.
“Should the City Council override this veto, the administration will not agree to pay the super-sized trash rate increase. We will also seek to remedy the waste hauler rate review process moving forward,” the city said.
During the budget process, Deegan proposed two programs that would have addressed the double-sided crisis of affordable housing and homelessness. The mayor’s office said the City Council Finance Committee cut $10 million for homeless outreach to $1 million.
Another investment the administration recommended was $10 million in seed money for an affordable housing fund that would have generated a $30 million matching commitment from the private sector. The mayor’s office said the Finance Committee stripped it out of the budget saying those dollars would have come from the city’s operating reserves.
“Less than three months later, the council is recommending spending those same reserve dollars to subsidize the profit margin of a well-connected private company,” the mayor’s office said.
This story was produced by News4Jax, a Jacksonville Today news partner.
