As the Monroe County Commission moves closer to sending out proposed property tax notices to homeowners, members tentatively agreed to increase the residential trash rate by 20%, which is 10% more than staff recommended, for the fiscal year that starts Oct. 1.
The commissioners chose the highest rate proposed by Waste Management, but plans to have its solid waste staff attempt to negotiate that rate down by the time the county sets its property tax rates later this year. County Solid Waste Director Cheryl Sullivan proposed the tentative residential rate be increased by 10%, or $45.71 per year, going from $457 a year to $502.86 per household/unit.
However, Waste Management’s proposal, which the Board of County Commissioners agreed to, sets the tentative rate for negotiating purposes at 20% above the current rate, or a roughly $91, taking the rate to $548 a year, according to Sullivan.
The commission did not set an exact residential trash rate for the 2024-25 fiscal year, but wanted a figure to place on the proposed property tax rate notice, called the Truth in Millage notices, to be sent out this summer.
Another item to be negotiated is possibly going from two-day-a-week trash collection to one-day-a-week collection. Going to one day a week, which is currently the Waste Management trash schedule in Key West, “encourages people to recycle,” would create less “truck traffic” on local roads and could drop the rate by $68 a year per home, said Greg Sullivan, who oversees Waste Management’s operation in the Florida Keys. To hold more trash, Sullivan proposed the county residential customers increase the size of trash cans used from 32-gallon cans to 96-gallon cans.
Commissioners Craig Cates and Jim Scholl called trash collection an essential service, but Cates did note commissioners granted Waste Management a 12% increase two years ago and “any increases would be passed along to property owners.”
County solid waste staff will now negotiate a contract with Waste Management, which will come back before the Monroe County Commission for ratification.
TDC funds housing
Commissioners approved an ordinance and policy change, so if and/or when the governor signs a bill, the county can move forward on putting $35 million in Tourist Development Council funds toward affordable housing projects.
The state Legislature approved a bill, SB 1456, this past legislative session that would allow the Monroe County TDC to use surplus TDC funds for affordable housing. Currently, there is roughly $35 million in surplus local TDC funds that could be used for housing. SB 1456 is still awaiting the governor’s signature, despite not facing push back from the Legislature.
Also, commissioners approved amending the TDC Operations Manual to add provisions as needed in anticipation of SB 1456 becoming law effective July 1, which will revise provisions relating to the special public facilities projects policy.
Two years ago, the Florida Legislature changed regulations to allow TDC funding to go toward capital projects called “public facilities.” Such projects have to be recommended by the TDC board, not the smaller, individual District Advisory Committees.
Last year, county commissioners approved amending the Tourist Development Plan of the Monroe County Code and the TDC Operations Manual to allow the $25 million TDC funding to go to “public facilities,” which in the future could go toward the creation of affordable housing.
Key West City Commission candidate Thaddeus Cohen proposed that 10% of the surplus funds be used to help facilitate the construction of 120 units of affordable housing units at the Truman Waterfront in Key West called The Lofts at Bahama Village, he told commissioners.
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