After the completion of rate study, City of Tallahassee solid waste rates for residential and commercial users are set to increase.
The rate changes recommended in the study will result in an increase to the standard monthly residential garbage charge of $1.54 per month, from $18.37 to $19.91. Typical commercial customers who require eight cubic-yard dumpster service once each week will see an increase from $130.35 to $156.00 per month.
The City of Tallahassee provided information that shows, even with the increase, the new rates are competitive when compared to other local government jurisdictions.
The rate study projected a solid waste fund deficit of $2.5 million in FY 2020. The study determined there were three primary drives of the deficit.
First, a $700,000 increase in the the contract for collection expenses for city vendor Waste Pro. Waste Pro was selected as the vendor after a competitive bidding process was completed in April 2019.
Second, Leon County has notified the City that there will be a 9% increase (approximately $600,000) for the transportation and disposal of residential and commercial waste delivered to the Leon County transfer station.
And third, the rate study noted that in recent years the prices paid for recyclable materials have declined due to changes in the global market. Going forward, the City will no longer receive net revenues from these sales but will incur additional expenses to process recyclable materials. These factors will result in a net increase of approximately $604,000 annually in expenses.
Despite these increases, the City of Tallahassee provided solid waste rate comparisons to elected officials which indicated that the new commercial rates were still some of the lowest in Florida and residential rates were in the middle of the pack.
See comparisons below.
City Solid Waste Rates to Increase for Residential and Commercial Users added by Steve Stewart on
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Solid waste removal has indeed increased in the past decade. Thanks for sharing this complied article.
Yes, I have seen trucks drive around with trash flying out onto the side of the road. They just spread the trash back around the city.
If you really want to freak out, follow one of their Garbage Trucks as it is cruising around Capital Circle or other long stretch of Road where they can do at least 45mph or faster and just watch it. One Truck will litter the Sides of the Road more than all the Cars do in a Day. Many times I have seen trash get sucked out of the top opening, even whole full trash bags will get sucked out.
It takes an act of Congress for Waste Pro to pick up a little debris pile and bulk pickup. This is the honest truth!
Folks in Fort Walton get twice weekly garbage pickup and weekly bulk and yard debris pick up and pay less than I do in Tally and I get half the service they do.Of course Okaloosa County Commissioners aren’t corrupt like Tally Officials are and so They don’t have those “costs” to add into the contract
Should the city continue a recycling program if it continues to lose money?
Did Gary Yordon do the rate study?
Just ask the Yordan and Maddox tag team to pony up the difference as Waste Pro dollars have been going in their pockets for years .
Correct me if I’m wrong here, Hope – but isn’t that the same Waste Pro that was involved with the Maddox-Smith payoff scheme? If so, then why in the heck is COT still doing business with Waste Pro? Wouldn’t it be common sense to suspend their contract and require several waste companies to submit new bids?
Maybe I’m way off with the above and Waste Pro is innocent of any wrongdoings with the city, but seems like you’d want to wipe that slate clean and start over from scratch with Tally waste company contracts and bids. To be fair to COT, seems like I did read about the city requesting auditing of a lot of “pre-indictments” contracts – but this Waste Pro rate hike seems like “business as usual” before the FBI ever showed up.
Yes, you are correct. The County Waste Pro contract should have been disqualified at the bidding level when Gary Yordon and Scott Maddox were participating in corruption. The County Administrator dropped the ball.
Therefore, COT should have not renewed with Waste Pro because of the corruption.
The Usual Suspects and Waste Pro should merge and call themselves Usual Corruption Pros, Inc!
What is “ECUA” in the bottom chart?
Emerald Coast Utilities Authority?