City of Jacksonville may save on trash, but we won’t

Jacksonville is looking to lower the amount it pays for garbage collection, which would save the city about $7.5 million over the next three years.

Garbage collection fees, however, would not be reduced. The city says the fees don’t yet cover the cost of providing the service.

The change would bring the amount each of the three trash hauling companies receive per house to an average of $114.60. That figure does not include the cost of fuel — budgeted at $3.6 million — or the eventual need to pay for closing the landfill where the trash is taken.

Next year, residents will continue to pay $151.80 a year in solid waste fees.

The new deal would save $2.4 million a year compared with the current rate, as well as another $362,000 based on changes to how fuel expenses are accounted.

Together, the three companies make $26.4 million a year, but under the reduction that would drop to $24 million a year, generating operating income of about $1 million each before interest and taxes.