NORTH PORT, Fla. — North Port commissioners increased trash collection rates as the Public Works department struggles with rising costs. Commissioners voted 5-0 last Thursday to raise the yearly rate by 10%, from $302.50 to $332.75.
"Costs do go up. And you know, basically we're talking a 10% increase here," Commissioner David Duval said before the vote. "And that hurts. But these are services that we need, services we provide. And out Solid Waste just does an excellent job."
WATCH: FOX 4's Hunter Walterman gets reaction from homeowner to rate increase:
It's a job that's become more expensive to do, according to solid waste manager Frank Lama. Truck maintenance, salaries, and disposal fees have increased. The Sarasota County Landfill increased it's disposal fee from $48 a ton to $58 a ton over the last two years.
That increase cost North Port around $798,000 this year, according to a city spokesperson. North Port garbage trucks drive to the landfill in Nokomis to drop off trash. That trip can take up to two-and-a-half hours, Lama said, with trucks sitting in line at the dump.
"That's a lot of trips going back and forth. And that's a lot of wear and tear," Lama said. "Now remember, we should be replacing trucks in five years because of the travel. We're doing it in seven, eight years."
The department budgeted five truck replacements for Fiscal Year 2026, according to a city spokesperson, with three new purchases. That will cost a little more than $3.7 million.
In addition to fleet service, the city is spending a significant amount of money on overtime. Because the trips to Nokomis take so long, drivers often don't get done before their eight-and-a-half hour shift is over.
So far this year, North Port paid garbage drivers more than $100,000 in overtime just because of trips to the dump, Lama said.
"We're wasting a lot of time," Lama said. "It's very inefficient."
Commissioners are weighing how to move forward on a project that could cut down on costs. In May, North Port asked voters to approve bonds for a waste transfer station.
Instead of driving to Nokomis, garbage trucks would drop off trash at the transfer station. Then, semi-trucks would haul trash to the dump.
The Public Works department estimates North Port would save $13 million over five years between salary, fuel, and maintenance. The transfer station could also generate revenue for North Port with user fees.
But in May, voters said no to the project. 5,946 voters (52.29%) rejected bonds for the transfer station, while 5,426 (47.71%) voted for it.
"We had an opportunity to try and save some money, by getting funding for a solid waste transfer station," Duval said during the meeting. "That would provide us with possibility of revenues....it would save us money, and the citizens turned us down."
Public Works is trying to keep up with a growing population. The city handles around 50,000 tons of waste a year, Lama said.
North Port's total waste volume increased by more than 10,000 tons over the last five fiscal years, according to a city spokesperson.
The department said it identified a need for two new routes this year, but only had enough money for one. The city's solid waste remained stagnant for years:
2010 - $267
2011 - $267
2012 - $267
2013 - $267
2014 - $249
2015 - $249
2016 - $249
2017 - $249
2018 - $230
2019 - $245
2020 - $245
2021 - $245
2022 - $250
2023 - $250
2024 - $275
2025 - $302.50
2026 - $332.75
Between 2010 and 2018, commissioners decreased the rate twice. That was followed by slight increases in 2019 and 2022.
In 2023, commissioners capped rate hikes to 10% a year. After years of limited change, Lama said it's inevitable rates would go up.
"It's gonna come around to get you, and here we are," Lama said. "The last two years we went up 10%."
North Port homeowner Ray Frederick said any fee increase impacts his budget. Frederick lives on a fixed income. Although Social Security makes cost-of-living adjustments, Frederick said it often feels like one step forward, two-steps back.
"So I'm really not getting ahead, I'm just trying to make ends meet," Frederick said.
However, Frederick said he understands why the city is raising rates. He suggested North Port could create a discount for senior citizens and veterans.
"It all costs money, and we know nothing is free," Frederick said.
