A revised version of a proposal to raise the fee that Jacksonville residents pay for trash hauling is headed to a final City Council vote Feb. 11 with support from three of the four committees that reviewed it.
The fee increase, contained in Ordinance 2025-0001, cleared the Council Rules Committee on a 4-3 vote Feb. 3 hours after being approved 5-1 by the Neighborhoods, Community Services, Public Health and Safety Committee.
On Feb. 4, the Finance Committee rejected the ordinance on a 5-2 vote. The Transportation, Energy and Utilities Committee approved it by the same vote count.
A companion bill that provides an exemption for low-income residents, Ordinance 2025-0002, passed all four committees. The votes were 4-3 in Rules, 5-1 in Neighborhoods, 4-3 in Finance and 5-2 in Transportation.
The votes came after the Jacksonville Civic Council expressed support for raising the fee. The Civic Council is a nonprofit group of prominent business leaders from more than 70 organizations.
Council member Matt Carlucci, who introduced the proposal, said after the Finance Committee meeting that he was encouraged by the committee votes and was hopeful there would be enough votes on the full Council to get it over the finish line.
Jacksonville residents pay $12.65 a month for trash service, a fee that has been in place since 2010. According to Council auditors, the actual cost of curbside hauling has risen to $30.40 over the past 15 years.
To cover the difference, the city has been taking out a “loan” of tax revenue from the city general fund. The city’s annual subsidization increased from $3 million in 2017 to about $36 million in 2024 and is on track to surpass $500 million by 2031.
Carlucci said the legislation was needed to address the ballooning “loan” obligation.
Due to the city’s interlocal agreements with the Beaches communities and Baldwin, which have their own contracts with trash service providers, the city cannot legally use the general fund money for trash pickup in Jacksonville.
Doing so would essentially leave the Beaches towns and Baldwin paying for both their own pickup and service for Jacksonville residents.
Coming out of the committees, the first ordinance carries an amendment offered by Council member Chris Miller to raise the fee to $27 for 2025, then increase it $2.50 per year in 2026 and 2027. The increases in 2026 and 2027 would both be subject to further Council votes.
Carlucci’s original bill called for an immediate increase to $30.40.
An amendment applying to Ordinance 2025-0002 would allow households earning 150% of the federal poverty level or less to apply for an exemption that would freeze their fee at $12.65 per month. Carlucci’s original bill would have allowed those households to be completely exempt from paying the fee.
The Finance Committee approved Miller’s amendment before voting down the revised bill.
The vote came after an exchange between committee member Rory Diamond and Scott Wilson, a Council liaison for Mayor Donna Deegan, on whether Deegan supported the fee increase.
Wilson said Deegan’s office was watching the Council’s actions and would review the ordinances if they pass.
Diamond said Deegan “is not willing to show any leadership on this issue at all.” He called Wilson’s response “weak sauce” and told Wilson he was “sorry you have spout out that garbage.”
Committee member Raul Arias said he supported the bill but was critical that the Deegan administration wouldn’t publicly back it, saying Deegan was leaving the Council to take criticism from the public for the higher fees.
“I’m going to be a no today until I get a response from the mayor,” Arias said.
Among other members voting no, Ron Salem listed a number of fees and tax increases that the city and Duval Schools have implemented since 2008 in saying he could not support another fee increase.
He said that in a city budget of $1.88 billion, the city should find a way to pay the full cost of trash service.
The committee votes broke down as follows:
Ordinance 2025-0001
Neighborhoods: Yes votes from Chris Miller, Michael Boylan, Tyrona Clark-Murray, Jimmy Peluso and Ken Amaro. No vote from chair Joe Carlucci. Ron Salem was not present for the vote.
Rules: Yes votes from Matt Carlucci, Rahman Johnson, Miller and Boylan. No votes from chair Nick Howland and members Terrance Freeman and Mike Gay.
Finance: Yes votes from Will Lahnen and Ju’Coby Pittman. No votes from Salem, Freeman, Howland, Raul Arias and Rory Diamond.
Transportation: Yes votes from Lahnen, Pittman, Matt Carlucci, Tyrona Clark-Murray and Peluso. No votes from Reggie Gaffney Jr. and Gay.
Ordinance 2025-0002 (Includes exemption for low-income residents)
Neighborhoods and Rules: Same as for 2025-0001
Finance: Yes votes from Freeman, Arias, Lahnen and Pittman. No votes from Salem, Diamond and Howland.
Transportation: Same as for 2025-0001