HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. — Hillsborough County residents could soon pay more for trash collection and disposal.
“I’m concerned as a senior citizen that I'm not going to be able to afford to live in Tampa,” Anne Spinelli said.
Retired registered nurse Anne Spinelli said the costs of being a homeowner in Tampa have increased.
“The rising homeowner, property tax increasing, electric increasing, all these different increases,” Spinelli said.
So, when she got a letter saying that her trash bill could go up, she was not pleased.
“At first, I thought I had read it wrong because to have such a hike in such period of time with no ability to defend or look at alternatives. I was very surprised and shocked by the amount of the bill,” said Spinelli.
Hillsborough County Solid Waste Management is proposing an increase in the solid waste collection and disposal assessments for 2024. The total increase per household will be $84.72 annually. That is $7.06 more per month.
The Director of Solid Waste Management, Damien Tramel, said the rate hike results from rising service costs.
“The contract costs went up, so we are now proposing a rate increase just to cover our costs,” Tramel said.
The solid waste assessments pay for the county's cost of providing residential customers with trash pickup and disposal. As the population of Hillsborough County has grown significantly in recent years, it’s also contributing to increased costs.
“The contract that we signed had everything to do with the population growth as well. So, the contract included picking up more waste, more homes, which as a result, the cost of services went up as well,” Tramel said.
Residents are invited to give feedback on the proposed assessment rates at a public hearing on August 16.
