Who will be charged the solid waste fee?
The new solid waste fee will be charged to:
*Single-family detached homes
*Townhomes
*Duplexes (2 units)
*Triplexes (3 units)
*Quadplexes (4 units)
*Mobile homes (less than 4 units on one parcel)
Properties with more than 4 units, apartment complexes, condominiums, mobile home parks and non-residential properties are each handled differently. Please contact the Solid Waste Division at (904) 387-8837 or visit Solid Waste's Frequently Asked Questions page for more information.
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How will I be billed the solid waste fee?
The City of Jacksonville sent the first bills on April 30, 2008. The solid waste fee billing period is nine months, from April 1 to December 31, 2008. (Depending on your property type, your bill may also include a stormwater fee.)
Starting in 2009, the bills will arrive in April and reflect charges for the whole calendar year (January through December).
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How much will I pay for the solid waste fee?
The solid waste fee rate will be $3 per month per dwelling unit from April to September. The fee will increase to $4 per month per dwelling unit on October 1.
So, for a single-family detached home, the May 2008 bill will reflect a solid waste charge of $30. ($3.00 x 6 months)+($4.00 x 3 months).
See: Solid Waste Fee Calculation by Property Type (PDF 16K)
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How do I pay the solid waste fee?
Payments must be made in full to the Tax Collector, either by mail or at one of the branch offices.
Partial payments will not be accepted, so you'll have to pay your entire solid waste fee (and stormwater fee, if applicable) at the same time, unless you have applied for a fee adjustment, exemption or credit before July 1, in which case your bill won't be due until your application is approved or denied.
We cannot accept credit card payments or payments online for either fee.
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What happens if I don't pay the solid waste fee?
Late fees of 1 percent per month will start to accrue on the solid waste fee beginning July 1. Remember, we cannot accept partial payments - if you are charged both the stormwater fee and the solid waste fee, you will have to pay both at once by the due date.
If you submit an application for a fee adjustment, exemption or credit before July 1, your total bill (solid waste and stormwater, if applicable) will not be due until your application is approved or denied.
If you submit your application on or after July 1, you'll still be assessed late fees until your total bill is paid in full, regardless of whether your application is ultimately approved or denied.
Continued failure to pay may result in a lien being placed on your property. While the lien cannot result in foreclosure, it will continue to accrue interest, and will have to be paid in full prior to the transfer of title/ownership.
Remember, we cannot accept partial payments!
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Is there any way to get my solid waste fee discounted or reduced?
Possibly. You may be exempted from the solid waste fee if you can prove you already pay for service from a private hauler.
The solid waste fee may be adjusted to account for periods of time when the premises is/are vacant, or if you are charged under an incorrect property type. "Vacancy" will be determined by checking electric service records.
Visit the Solid Waste Adjustments & Exemptions page.
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Will I still owe the stormwater fee if I am exempted from the solid waste fee?
Yes, unless you also successfully apply for a stormwter fee exemption. However, it will be a rare occurrance that a property owner would qualify to be exempt from both the stormwater fee AND the solid waste fee.
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Why should I have to pay separately for garbage collection?
When Tallahassee directed local governments statewide to reduce their property tax rates for 2007/08, the City of Jacksonville immediately lost millions of dollars in anticipated operating revenue. The crisis didn't stop there. Jacksonville also faced the inevitable and increasing expenses of operating local government.
Jacksonville spends more than $42 million annually to collect garbage; that's about $11 per household each month. The city instituted the solid waste fee to ensure government would continue to provide that service, while at the same time diversifying the city's revenue stream.
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Will I experience a difference in service?
You should not experience a change in collection service as a result of the new fee. The collection schedule and waste haulers that service your area will remain the same as before the fee went into effect.
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