Published on February 6, 2025 at 2:38 pm
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A Jacksonville City Council member says he’s still unsure how he’ll vote on a proposed increase in the residential trash fee, despite new support from Mayor Donna Deegan.
The trash fee is scheduled for a final council vote Feb. 11.
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Council member Raul Arias voted against legislation for the fee increase in committee on Tuesday after a Deegan representative would not say whether the mayor would back the increase if council passed it.
At a Beaches town hall meeting the next night, Deegan said she does support the increase. She reminded residents that the fee has not changed in 15 years.
If approved, the annual assessment would go from $151 to $324 on the 2025 tax bill. It would rise to $354 the next year and then $384 in 2027.
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The cost of collecting garbage totals nearly twice what residents pay in fees, city officials say. For years, the city has borrowed from its general fund to make up the difference.
City Councilman Matt Carlucci proposed increasing the fee to eliminate the growing debt. The operation runs an annual deficit of about $40 million a year for residential services, Carlucci said.
Auditor’s projections indicate the total debt will rise to nearly $100 million by the end of this fiscal year.
Deegan commended the council for addressing the problem and said she would support their approach to phasing in the increase, “instead of being $100 million in the hole.”
“Every year someone brings it up on council, and 90% of the time the council didn’t want to be seen as raising taxes,” Deegan said. “At some point you’ve got to pay your bills.”
Deegan also noted that separate legislation would exempt people from the fee increase if they make up to 150% of the federal poverty rate.
To read Carlucci’s argument in favor of increasing the fee, see this Jacksonville Today story.
For more coverage of Deegan’s position, go to the Jacksonville Daily Record, a Jacksonville Today news partner.
