Jacksonville’s 3-year contract for garbage pick-up expired at the end of 2022 and had to be rebid. Despite our current contractor, Republic Services, being the lowest bidder, there is a price increase. Monthly fees for garbage will increase by $7.14 along with a $3.24 rise to the monthly health and sanitation fee.
February bills will include service from December, before the new contract, and January, after the contract began, with a prorated amount of $17.29 per cart and $7.86 for health and sanitation. March will mark the first full month under the new contract, with charges totaling $20.85 per trash cart and $9.48 for the health and sanitation fee, the new monthly rates under the rebid contract.
Part of the rise in fees can be attributed to the rising cost of doing business (such as transportation costs). Meanwhile, how recycling is handled has changed; previously, recycling programs reduced the cost of garbage pickup through recycling credit, but now those same programs cost money instead of saving it. City leaders decided to keep the recycling program active because it makes a meaningful impact on cleanliness in the city.
The new garbage pickup fee is charged per garbage cart (recycling carts are included with your service and do not count toward the fee increase). Residents who have more than one garbage cart and do not wish to keep the additional carts can call City Hall at 256-435-7611 to have them picked up by Republic as needed.
The health and sanitation fee amount is based on the cost of garbage pickup and supports cleanup efforts in Jacksonville, including maintenance of the city landfill, which is open to residential and commercial users.