St. Johns County residents will pay more for trash collection beginning next year if the Board of County Commissioners approves the new proposed rates.
Currently, residents pay $254 a year for curbside service, which includes unlimited collection and disposal of household garbage, yard waste and bulk waste, as well as weekly recycling pickup.
That would increase incrementally over the next five years to $334 in 2026, $394 in 2027, $414 in 2028, $434 in 2029 and $454 in 2030.
While the charge is included in the regular tax bill, it is unrelated to the value of a resident’s property; everyone pays the same rate. For that reason, the increase may seem inconsequential for those with higher incomes while more burdensome for those already struggling financially.
Part of the reason behind the proposal is to pay back the general fund, from which money has had to be transferred this year to support the solid waste fund.
The proposed increase falls in the middle of rates being considered in surrounding counties.
In introducing the proposal at the June 17 meeting of the St. Johns County Board of County Commissioners, Director of Public Works Greg Caldwell compared services and rates to those in Clay County. The proposal there is for $358 in 2026, but Clay doesn’t plan to provide curbside recycling collection and limits household garbage to a single bin and yard waste to 3 cubic yards.
“Our cost associated with our services, we feel, is low for the high level of service that we provide,” Caldwell told the board.
A public hearing will be held Aug. 5 during the regular meeting of the commission.
