Gainesville City Commission will consider 25% increase in residential trash collection fees at Thursday’s GPC meeting
BY JENNIFER CABRERA
UPDATE: The City Commission delayed this decision until January.
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – A 25% increase in residential trash collection fees is on the agenda of the August 8 City of Gainesville General Policy Committee meeting.
According to a presentation included in the backup material for the agenda, the City’s Public Works Department’s annual costs have increased about $3 million since 2019, so the department is proposing a 25% increase in residential cart costs that increases the charge for each cart size by $5-$10 per month. The monthly fee for the largest cart, for example, will go from $40.75 to $50.94.
Residents can exchange their cart for a smaller one for a one-time $15 fee, but a survey conducted by the City found that most residents are using the appropriate cart size.
The increase in the residential cart fee is expected to result in an additional $2.5 million per year in revenue, and an accompanying 15% increase in the Franchise Fee charged to commercial haulers is expected to add $730,000 per year in revenue.
The Solid Waste Update is the second item on the August 8 agenda; the meeting starts at 1 p.m.
Can I opt out and build a burn pit?
This is SO DISAPPOINTING why only a 25% increase, i keep telling these people don’t worry about it, we have been raising taxes and fees on the commoners we rule, and they still continue to vote us in office. With that being said i say raise it 125%. Watch what i mean wait till the new property taxes come out this year. The commoners will cry and whine and I will bathe in their tears as I laugh and laugh. The best part is they will still elect us to continue to punish them with higher and higher taxes and fees. I love ruling over dumbazz’
There’s not a trash can large enough for the Mayor and City Commissioners.
That being said, they should allow any resident the opportunity to “opt-out” of roadside residential pickup. Some live close enough to the rural collection centers to take their own trash and it cuts down on the emissions and other pollutants being emitted from their trucks. Far more financially feasible as well, maybe that’s why they don’t understand it.
Breh, the amount of emissions for you to drive to the rural collection center is a lot more than the extremely small amount it takes for the truck to go from your neighbor’s house to your’s.
Wrong. That’s what they’ve fed you to believe.
Everyone’s situation is different though.
And if the collection center were on the way to the resident’s work, would your objection still justify not allowing one to opt out?
Who gives a dam about emissions oh yell the idiot democrats who this what little they do can save the world
@dizzle
CO2 is not a pollutant! Plants need it to live. Climate Change is nothing but a Marxist ploy to a global government where the elites control how, where, and how long you get to travel while they get to go where ever when ever in their private planes and limo’s. Why do people continue to pay premium for ocean front property if the oceans are going to rise in 10 years? Time to leave the cult …
Why do people continue to pay premium for ocean front property if the oceans are going to rise in 10 years?
The same reason they vote for Trump 3 times.
People are just plain stupid.
Because people who read the actual facts know that the oceans are not rising as predicted. In 2005, we were told that sea level would rise by more than a meter by 2020 and that the Mid-Atlantic conveyor would stop by 2014. None of that happened. It’s all pseudo science and conjecture based on poorly understood principles and badly constructed models many of which are paid for by corporate sponsors that make money from the hysteria. Don’t cast your vote for junk science.
Your opinion! My opinion is government worshipping leftists are stupid!
We all witnessed what the authoritarian wanna be left wing scum would do given the power during Covid!
You are right there is not a trash can big enough nor is there a check big enough to satisfy the spending appetite that I have. There is no tax or fee to large matter of fact they are all too small. Besides how else do you expect me to pay for all the nutz I put in my mouth, I mean donuts.
This feels like the city is looking at every possible means to recoup their GRU funding loss.
So what’s the truth? Should city residents have been paying more, all along, for trash collection but, instead, the city forced GRU ratepayers (including those outside the city) to cover the trash pickup cost instead of city elected officials increasing fees (possibly losing votes)?
Or have the city trash fees been okay and city elected officials now need to charge more to keep their pet projects funded?
It means they have to make up for Bidenflation and the progressive wage increases — by being more regressive.
Try as you might, you can’t reasonably attribute everything that’s wrong to Biden.
The grift with the city and GRU isn’t new.
Have you seen that wastewater fee? It’s higher than my water bill.
There goes demonrat policies ruining citizens lives some more.
Again, more policies that only hurt the poor. Those with above average resources can afford this proposed increase all day long but our local government cannot keep nickel and diming those who are truly struggling already.
The city refuses to properly cut its bloated, politically radical operations to the detriment of those who truly need it. I hope everyone can see how our phoney politicians speak with a split tongue. They all assume the poor is too stupid to pick up on their hustle.
Most are.
That’s why they keep voting for these types. They haven’t figured out that the only people keeping them in bondage are the same who keep raising their taxes, their utility rates, and now, their waste collection fees.
I disagree a bit because I think it’s an knowledge issue, not a brainpower issue. I don’t think the habitual repeat voters are necessarily stupid, I think they’re naive. I think they’re too busy trying to make a living and make ends meet to even be able to take deep dives into these issues. I think they place their faith in the hands of people they trust, but absolutely should not. Identity politics is designed to capture those who are most vulnerable…we should try to talk to others and help relay an actual cohesive message instead of beating them down…the vast majority of people are disgusted with the state of things but do not have the time and resources to do a damn thing about it.
I just voted and I voted against every incumbent. My reasoning was simply to promote real change in a political circus that gives me some hope we can stop the destruction of this city. I know, wishful thinking. There is no other option, is there?
Absolutely …That’s the best option in my opinion
The DEI people should get free trash pick up because you know why…
In January, the commission approved a three year extension of GFL garbage collection contract . Commissioner Book asked staff a couple of times if there would be a rate increase. Staff repeatedly said no rate increases were necessary. Six months later staff says that public works has been losing money since 2019. Staff needs to be held accountable.An audit of the solid waste department since 2019 needs to happen and find out where the funds are being in
transfered too before any rate increase is approved
Thanks for bringing that out. I thought I recalled reading something about the recent contract that was approved.
Even more reason to question who’s padding their pockets with the new “proposed” rates. What’s the purpose of a contract if people aren’t obligated to abide by them?
Good point–where is our useless City Attorney Daniel Nee? Probably too busy working on another losing, $500k lawsuit against the state for implementing GRUA instead of doing his job enforcing contracts.
Great points.
The key question will be will the Commissioners, already knowing all of this since it was stated in prior meeting, still vote for fee increase?
That fee also includes recycling. I have to email the city on a regular basis because my recycling is not picked up. Regular garbage, always picked up. Recycling pick up is an issue, and I don’t know why. Now I’m going to pay more for a service I’m already not getting?! 😡
A number of counties in florida have abolished their recycle pick-ups. That will never happen here imo.
They should be paying for our recyclables at curbside…it’s a commodity,
How much does the city receive for the plastic, glass, paper, & aluminum cans? Aluminum brings almost $1/lb‼️
I bet the auditors and contracts missed that money!
Garbage is big biz & big $…
Mafia…be careful poking around!
Now you now where the problem is!
I throw it all into my garbage.
I refuse to participate in the scam.
Just dump it all in the big black can. It all should be sorted at the transfer station…
Frank has the right idea, middle finger to the government thugs!
However, the transfer station doesn’t sort anything garbage trucks dump. They push the disgustingness into a trash mountain where 2 mini excavators or something very similar loads trucks.
Everything should be sorted …that’s the right way to do it. Most efficient way too instead of trucks burning gas and for what’s in the orange & blue bins. Put prisoners , work release, or make homeless housing at the transfer station so you have a home and work.
They got magnets and conveyor belts and big equipment that can sort things too…it’s purposely kept archaic by the trash haulers etc. garbage is big money. Trash = cash.
Never going to happen in this blue dump. They call what you are proposing “slave” labor! They believe prisoners have no duty to pay for their living needs while incarcerated and that the homeless should receive hard working Americans income for doing nothing other than breathing!
Fox: how much $ did the city receive for the aluminum, glass, paper, tin? Nobody mentioned this. Those are commodities and why they are recycled in those bins. A lot is put in the black bins.
The black bins should be sorted for recyclables too…the organic material can be composted at the dump.
Is Gainesville also considering a City Income Tax?
Stop!!!
Don’t give them any ideas. City Income tax.
That would just destroy people living on the margins. But I bet they love the idea.
DEI & poor will be exempt from the city income tax.
Rent control.
Don’t think so much…
They might mandate you to take a vagrant for any spare bedrooms you may have…
They did that in Germany with the Muslims a few years back… don’t know if they’re still doing it there now.
Be sure and call out those board members who promised “No New Taxes” when running for office.
See what they have to say now.
That’s weird. Why aren’t the new student apt. high rises full of MORE city service customers per acre, paying enough to improve city tax and GRU revenues? Should we have kept building low rise apts instead? 🧐🤔
Answer: it’s not about revenues, it’s about buying more gullible voters, replacing the disillusioned ones. 👹👺🤡💩👿DNC
Because large buildings don’t use the city services and contract directly with the garbage contractors.
Are they using this as a revenue stream for their crazy BS projects?
All revenue streams are being used for their crazy BS projects, so yes.
Please vote all these morons out in the upcoming election
They haven’t seen a tax they didn’t like. What do you expect from left wing zealots. They lie, lie and lie some more. The only let you speak so they can have it on record. Time to get serious and throw out all the libs!
One more reason I’m so glad I live in the county and don’t have to deal with the morons who run Gainesville.
Dan: you got those county morons to deal with…they forced masks on us too!
I suspect this will result in an increase in illegal dumping as people opt out of paying the ridiculous 25% increased rate.
As previously mentioned, city dwellers cannot opt out.
Just bring all your trash and drop it off at the front doors of city hall.
Problem solved.
Their private gestapo will prevent that.
Why do you think the homeless and vagrant aren’t seen around City Hall the way they are around County buildings?
Not true. There’s a bum 1 block away in the Wells Fargo old drive/thru who has been there a year…I see bums panhandling on univ & main, main & 16th, Waldo & 39th, archer & 34th…I could go on…
It is true. Your bum is, as you mentioned, at Wells Fargo. Across the street from him there’s another guy, made himself a home and took up artwork on the side of the building. 20 yards from that there’s a woman who strips down to her waist every morning.
There are no bums, no vagrants, no one sleeping or getting shelter from the rain on city hall property.
The only bums there are those pretending to be city commissioners and the mayor.
I will pay for a private gestapo to get rid of the vagrants & panhandlers…where do I sign up?
If the city does that at city hall, than it’s only equitable that they do it for the rest of the city!
Where our chief of DEI?