FCC Environmental Services took over trash pickup in St. Johns County on Aug. 1, 2024. | FCC Environmental Services
Published on June 17, 2025 at 4:34 pm
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St. Johns County residents may soon pay more for garbage service.
The County Commission OK’d a move Tuesday that allows the county’s public works department to inform residents that a price increase may be coming soon.
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The notices will be issued ahead of an public meeting in August when the County Commission will formally decide whether to increase solid waste rates.
St. Johns County homeowners currently pay a total of $254 annually for garbage and recycling pickup and disposal. If the price hike is approved in August, residents will see an $80 increase for solid waste fees when they receive their property tax bill.
County officials say the move is necessary as costs for solid waste services have gone up.
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Public Works Director Greg Caldwell said that increasing rates will get the county’s solid waste fund “back into good standing.”
According to data presented by Caldwell, the new annual fee of $334 for solid waste services puts St. Johns County residents in the middle compared to what people pay in nearby cities and counties.
St. Johns County homeowners pay more than people in Putnam County, about the same as St. Augustine Beach residents and as much as $75 less than people who live in Palm Coast or Flagler County (who get their trash collected twice per week).
St. Johns’ $334 will come in lower than the $384 Jacksonville residents will have to pay thanks to a recently approved garbage fee increase.
If approved by the County Commission, the $80 increase will be the first step toward an overall $200 increase planned over the course of five years.
After the $80 increase this year, the county is scheduling a $60 increase in 2027, followed by annual hikes until 2030, when homeowners are expected to pay $454 annually for solid waste services.
Residents will be informed by mail of the potential increase in fees, and the St. Johns County Commission will vote on the move during a public meeting Aug. 5.
