JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Rolling the trash can down the driveway could have a bigger impact on your wallet soon.

A Jacksonville city council member proposed a plan to more than double the garbage collection fee.

The cost of just about anything has gone up year over year, which includes the less than flashy stuff like picking up your trash.

Councilman Matt Carlucci’s proposal would cost homeowners about $200 more per year, and although it’s not a fun thing to talk about, he feels it’s beyond time to increase the rate.

“To get a better city, you’ve got to do things the right way,” said Carlucci.

Carlucci says the city’s current arrangement with the garbage fee is unsustainable.

The last time it was raised was in 2010, meaning homeowners have been paying $12.50 per month for garbage collection for a decade and a half.

Carlucci says to cover how much it actually costs today, it’d be $30 per month, so that’s exactly what his bill would rise to.

“It’ll raise enough revenue so that we can quit borrowing general fund money and that can be used for the rest of the community, including the beaches and Baldwin as well,” said Carlucci.

Carlucci says millions each year from the general fund have to literally go to trash to cover the deficit.

Money that could be going to…“roads, streets, downtown development, extension of water and sewer lines, better parks, public safety for crying out loud,” said Carlucci.

Carlucci admits that $200 more per year is a big increase.

So, he filed a partner bill that would allow households within 150% of the federal poverty line to apply for a garbage fee exemption.

“I didn’t want to introduce a bill to raise the garbage fee, but not have a safety net for those who just financially cannot afford it. You’ve got to balance it out, and I’m balancing it out the best I can,” said Carlucci.

Carlucci says his bills will go through committees, where other council members can come up with any tweaks or other ways to address the deficit.

These aren’t the only trash-related issues facing the council this week.

The council approved a 29% increase in how much the city pays a trash collection provider, which is way higher than the 5% increase the mayor’s administration supported.

The mayor still has to sign that bill, let it take effect without signing or veto it, a power she hasn’t used yet since she took office.

First Coast News asked Mayor Donna Deegan’s office the following questions about the increase:

1. How much did the mayor propose to raise Meridian’s rate? The administration and City Council Auditors supported a 5% increase to $18.29 per household per month, which was within the cost escalator agreed to by the company in their contract with the city. 
2. How much more did the city council wind up approving last month? The City Council ignored the recommendation of their own auditors and approved a 29% increase to $22.39, which was well above a rate increase that was possible under the existing contract.
3. Does the mayor intend to veto the city council’s decision? We are still considering all our options on this legislation and will make a final decision before the council meeting on Tuesday. Throughout the committee meetings on this bill, we made it clear that we believed it was fiscally irresponsible to provide an increase beyond what was allowed in the contract – and to pull it from reserves when city priorities like affordable housing and homelessness were not fully funded.