Jacksonville residents are set to face a significant spike in their trash pickup fees, an increase for the first time in over a decade. The Jacksonville City Council voted 11-7 in favor of raising the residential trash pickup fee from its current rate of $12.65 to $27 for 2025, with subsequent increases planned for the following years, as reported by Jax Daily Record . These planned hikes are a way to deal with a growing deficit in the city's solid waste fund, which, according to the City Council Auditor's Office, stands at an estimated $100 million in borrowed money from the general fund that needs repayment.

Councilman Matt Carlucci, who introduced the ordinance, outlined that the increase would align garbage collection fees with the actual cost of service, which is $30.40 per month per household. He noted that the past reluctance to raise the solid waste disposal fee was not due to a steady cost but a result of political standoffs, in a statement obtained by Jacksonville Today . The council passed companion legislation, offering households earning up to 150% of the federal poverty level, the possibility to seek an exemption, locking their rate at $12.65.

Mayor Donna Deegan expressed her support for the measure, emphasizing that this resolution addresses a protracted issue that became more expensive with time. Meanwhile, residents like Henry Dufresne have voiced concerns about the fee's surge, calling it “sudden and burdensome," especially for those on fixed incomes struggling to make ends meet, as they told First Coast News .

Despite public discontent, council members backing the fee increase highlighted that costs have escalated significantly over the years. Some residents argued for reduced service costs and better-negotiated contracts with trash removal providers. However, these suggestions have not prevented the decision to progress; the ordinance now awaits final approval on Mayor Deegan's desk, pending the Jacksonville City Council's affirmation.