TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL)--Some Leon County residents are outraged that they may soon have to pay for trash service. Commissioners are considering requiring all county residents to start paying for curbside trash service.
Jodie Crowley has been dumping her trash off at this waste management facility for more than 20 years.
"I love it it's a regular thing, I do it at least once a week," said Crowley.
That's why Crowley isn't happy with Leon County commissioners and the move towards requiring residents to have mandatory curbside trash service.
For those like Crowley who drop off their own trash...they'd now be paying $158.40 each year for a service they say they don't even want. They currently spend $40 a year to use any of the five county dumps. Crowley says she'd rather see curbside service left as just an option, not a requirement.
"I don't want to be assessed charges for something that i don't want," said Crowley.
The manager of the Leon County Solid Waste Management facility says about 175 residents come here to toss out their trash every day, which is why they say their so angry the county is trying to take that away.
Commissioners say this could save the county about
$1 million dollars a year by closing the dumps. But Jane Sauls is one commissioner siding with the residents.
"This is something very important to them, this is a big financial hit, this is a way of life," said Sauls who represents district 2 in the county.
Commissioner Sauls says emails are constantly coming in like asking commissioners not to do this.
"We have citizens that told me, that their going to be in position like do I buy my medicine, or do I buy my groceries or pay my bills," said Sauls.
They say their concerned about the senior citizens and how they would be able to get their trash to end of the road.
Crowley added she's concerned about the big garbage trucks coming onto their streets to get the garbage and messing up the pavements. She says she doesn't want the roadway to have to be restructured.
Though commissioners haven't take a final vote, Crowley is sending them a message.
"Do not force us to do what we don't want," said Crowley.
Meanwhile, county commissioners also voted to add a 5-cent gas tax for the county. WTXL spoke with the county's budget worker Scott Ross. He says If the county passes this referendum, that means the county could bring in an extra $5 million a year then split it with the city for general revenue. Also, they proposed raising the price of the storm water assessment from $20 to $85, which will bring in $3 million a year.
