Gone are the years when your garbage rate stayed the same for five years at a time, as it did in those increments between 2007 and 2023 when Waste Pro was Palm Coast’s garbage hauler. When the city negotiated a contract with its new hauler in 2023, FCC Environmental, one of the contractual provisions was an annual increase based on the previous year’s inflation rate, if with a 4 percent cap.
The increase you’ll see on the garbage item in your utility bill starting in October: 3.75 percent. So your monthly cost will go from $32.32 to $33.30, a monthly increase of $0.98, an annual increase of $11.76. Don’t be surprised: the city has been raising your water and sewer rates in accordance with inflation for years. (It raised rates 3 percent last year. An earlier version of this story incorrectly calculated the increase on the full amount that customers pay, when in fact it applies only to the collection component of the cost, which is why 3.75 percent is not calculated off of the $32.23 rate. See below for an explanation.)
That utility-rate adjustment didn’t come up when city staff presented the utility budget to the council this morning, but it did when Public Works Director Matt Mancill presented the garbage hauling budget, surprising Mayor David Alfin.
“Significant increase. You all comfortable with that?” Alfin asked his colleagues. “It’s been explained, but I’m troubled by it. I don’t know that I have a solution for it, but it’s a big number.”
Exclusively fee-based, that fund is set up as its own “enterprise” fund, separately from the city’s general fund. Charges in 2023 totaled $15.3 million, growing to an estimated $17.2 million by the time this year ends, and projected to reach $18.6 million next year. That’s due to the city’s sharply increasing population. Between last year and this year, the city added 2,299 households or accounts (from 42,186 accounts to 44,485). Mancill is projecting a 12.2 percent budget increase, with every dollar in new revenue accounted for in expenses.
That raised questions for City Council member Theresa Pontieri, who asked for a more detailed breakdown of the operating expenditures. “What we continue to see year after year is, our revenues have gone up by 12.2 percent, and coincidentally our expenditures have also now gone up by 12.2 percent,” Pontieri said. “We are spending as much or more as we’re bringing in, and I think that there needs to be a change in mentality from that perspective.” Pontieri said she wasn’t referring only to the garbage-hauling contract, but to all divisions citywide.
“I get it, costs have gone up for the city just like they’ve gone up for the residents,” she said. “We are not immune from inflation. The city has experienced inflation just like everybody in this room and in their households. But we have to be stewards of the taxpayer dollars, so I think that it should be a policy of our city to say, You know what, even though the revenues went up by 12.2 percent, let’s see if we can keep the expenditure increase to 10 percent.” In the aggregate, department by department, that would add up to millions every year she said.
Mancill said the city doesn’t control the operational part of its contract with FCC Environmental. As their number of households go up, their costs go up, and the city passes on the revenue to the company. The only internal operations to Palm Coast’s budget amount to a solid waste supervisor and her inspector. The CPI adjustment, he said, was the result of previous experience with Waste Pro. “Towards the end of that contract, we ran into a lot of cost issues that affected levels of service for our residents,” Mancill said.
Pontieri assured him that her suggestions were not about him or a reflection of his management, but about citywide budgets.
FCC Environmental just won a contract in St. Johns County and in Clay County, after winning Sarasota County in March. Waste Pro is still the contractor in unincorporated Flagler County.
Correction: An earlier version of this article calculated the 3.75 percent increase on the full rate that customers pay each month–$32.32. In fact, the contractual increase applies only on the collection component of the service. For example, the garbage collection component costs $12.99, the disposal component costs $4.60. Customers pay both amounts, but the inflation increase applies only to the collection component. Similarly, customers are charged $7.15 for recycling, and another $1 for processing recyclables, but the inflation increase applies only to the $7.15 component. And so on down the list of components–yard waste, bulky items, white goods. In sum, the inflation increase applies to $26.01 of the bill, resulting in a $0.98 increase, not, as reported earlier, a $1.21 increase. See the chart below, provided by Matt Mancill, for a detailed outline.
Dennis C Rathsam says
Lets thank the morons at City Hall, & the mayor from hell!
Romuald Flieger says
Another mistake on the local government with their contractional agreement. The town should eat this one.
R.S. says
It’s about time that we begin to meter the trash; I don’t like to have to pay the same sum as someone who has huge loads of trash hauled away while I’m lucky if I fill up one garbage can every two or three weeks. Other cities can do that; why not Palm Coast?
tjmelton says
Stewards of the taxpayers funds? Increased water, sewerage, garbage, & the mysterious storm water treatment fee? This now goes up every year? Outstanding fiscal management! Why not vote yourselves another raise,? Unlimited public official hubris. There is NO responsibility in this city.
Up To Our Necks says
Keep piling it on Palm Mayor and City Council. Your day of reckoning is almost here. The Primary is in 28 days, vote accordingly Palm Coasters!!
Mark says
Good going City Council, we don’t have wheeled containers nor can you get a second old fashioned recycling bin yet we’ll pay more.
rapscallion says
essentially admitting neither he nor anyone assisting him did their due diligence
Hjc says
A solid waste supervisor and her inspector. Maybe one of those positions could be eliminated that would possibly make sense. Many people are being forced to eliminate what they spend maybe all government offices need to follow the people’s example.
Jbeag says
We must vote them out !
We won’t be able to afford to live here!
The Sour Kraut says
FCC sucks. They often leave some trash uncollected. Waste Pro was so much better.
Looter says
Talk about a power move. Waste pro bought out Environmental Land Services which is our local dump. I’m pretty sure our new company has to truck the garbage all the way out into Daytona. And if there not I’m sure waste pro is taxing the heck out of them to dump there. I won’t be surprised if waste pro gets the contract back.
JimboXYZ says
I don’t envy FCC labor. The Alfin growth of transient renters, I’ve seen too many duplexes turn into their own temporary landfills. And it remains like that until those unfortunate workers have to load mounds of furniture, appliances, bedding & whatever other clutter that has accumulated in the duration of any lease. Too often the renter moves a couple duplexes away to perpetuate that on the next landlord. 1/2 their garbage ends up blowing into my yard just the same because the 2x a week litter isn’t bagged properly. This was Alfin that circumvented the lowest bid process and opted for FCC over WastePro that was doing the same job for less. Just reminding anyone reading this that the one’s seeking re-election were the one’s that tried to leverage Waste Services and failed at providing the most cost effective solution. Gone are the days of LT contract rates, tying rates to inflation is a Biden-Harris concept as is the grossly underfunded growth projects he rubber stamps that comes across his desk for his vote of approved. Hopefully, Alfin won’t have to be concerned with inflationary price hikes later this year. He can wait it out on the sidelines for the properties to come up for sale and he can make his money that way on real estate commissions.
Mischa Gee says
Whatever we do in Palm Coast, we should prevent “fees” being added to utility bills for things like beach restoration. These fees are really a tax and should be added to the tax bills, where, believe it or not the residents have a bigger say in whether or not they go up.
We currently need to look into adding another fresh water well to be able to provide water to all these new homes being built, as well as sewage processing facilities for the same reason.
Our city missed an opportunity to increase impact fees to the maximum allowed by law, and now must wait before increasing them again..
I think before they allow continued reckless building, they need to find a way to make contractors include water and sewer processing plants for their developments. Water pressure has been bad for a long time, it’s time to face the music, and make sure those building in our city, provide infrastructure to match their building.
We should also renegotiate a better contract with our new trash company, that sets a rate of increase capped at 3% per year, or open bidding again.
Waste Pro served us well for a long time and could again.
Celia Pugliese says
I can afford it, but for those that live in a fixed retirement or family income, this is the “deal” that city chief of staff DeLorenzo got us in! Wonder what else is in this contract signed!
Jay Tomm says
At least I’m still at 2.5% on my mortgage!
Deez Nutz says
So the city agreed to this new contract last year with FCC and now all of a sudden Alfin acts surprised by the rate increase! Just like they approved all the development on 100 around BJ’s and now they are worried about traffic congestion in that area. Seems to me that this current administration lacks any ethics or common sense to be in charge of our future. Please show up and vote Alfin and his cronies out of office in this upcoming election, they have ruined what was once a great place to live!
Steve says
Not that we will see it anytime soon but is there also a clause in the contract for a decrease during times of deflation?
Joe D says
I’m intrigued (as a single retiree with minimal trash)…how do other cities “monitor” the volume of trash, do they stop and weigh/document and log each household’s trash?
I would think that extra process would be time consuming, thus meaning “more expensive.”
Actually says
Waste Management bought ELS not Waste Pro.
Robjr says
“Significant increase. You all comfortable with that?” Alfin asked his colleagues. “It’s been explained, but I’m troubled by it. I don’t know that I have a solution for it, but it’s a big number.”
Duh.
You and your colleagues signed up for it.
Now you are troubled?
Me says
The City of PC took a survey and asked the taxpayers about switching trash companies and we all voted to leave well enough alone.
And as usual they didn’t listen and got a new company so now we are going to pay more. How’s this sound let the City of PC pay for the additional new charges and leave the taxpayers alone.
Joe D says
What does inflation based contract increases have to do with “Biden-Harris?”
Almost every legislation takes inflation level to adjust contracts (all the way back to the 1980’s when the Social Security annual increase started being based on the first 3 months of the PRIOR year’s inflation rate).
You appear to just want SOMEONE to blame! Try blaming OPEC+ (which includes RUSSIA) oil producing groups for the artificial cuts in production so they can jack up prices….or the few remaining major food producers who have GOUGED the world’s consumers with prices that FAR outstrip the “supply chain” and “employee salaries” cost increases, to make RECORD (NET) profits …remember 5th grade…that means profit AFTER ALL the expenses have been subtracted.
Of course in YOUR mind, putting TRUMP back in office will correct ALL the world’s problems…don’t make me LAUGH!
C'mon Dave says
Thirty bucks or so to have some poor fellers rolling around town all week in heat, cold, rain, whatev collecting my stinky ass trash so that I don’t hafta deal with it. GIMME A BREAK!! That’s the deal of the century. We pay way more on kawfey and streaming services. Goddam this town is chock fulla entitled whining babies!
Jp says
I have an idea, stop picking up twice a week for trash and only pick up bulk items twice a month!
Have a gray can for seniors that don’t put much out any ways and charge them less.
Give out larger recyclable cans and only pick up twice a month opposite of bulk pick up.
Look at all the savings we the citizens would have!!!
Just an idea that would work!
As for as our swell maintenance fee of $28 that you only do every 5 years if that, at a cost to the home owner of $1680 for five years, which doesn’t cost that to dig and re sod per home, cut that to actual cost!!!!
Mary Fusco says
Celia, the raise is $1.25 a month which comes to around $0.30 a week. I am on a very fixed income and can manage that. Everyone always yelling about living wages. Maybe some of this will go to the workers that are hanging off of trucks in 100 degree weather collecting garbage. My brother lives in a small town in NC. Only garbage pick is in the city limits. Whether you live 10 feet or 10 miles outside, you are required to take you garbage to the landfill yourself. There is no curbside pickup. He recently had a grill that no longer worked and had to hire someone with a truck to haul it away. My lawn guy raised his fee $5.00 a cut. He apologized and I totally understand. The cost of gas as well as paying his helper, etc. Guess I’m trying to say that conveniences cost. Maybe there would be a way for those that don’t want to pay the fee could opt out and take their trash to the dump themselves. Would love to see how long this would last!
Nephew Of Uncle Sam says
Jimbo, it’s not inflation when corporations are making record profits.
Mark says
Most of us didn’t get to Vote. Every time I hear about “they asked residents” I’ve been wondering where is our survey.
Francesca says
Palm coast is run by untrained and stupid greedy officials.
Also if palm coast doesn’t actually recycle, why are we pretending by having them pick up recycling? What’s the point.
Mark says
Actually pick up all trash and recyclables once a week, then we don’t have to pay for a second day and have more truck traffic. Most people only put their can out once a week anyway.
The Sour Kraut says
So what is your property insurance doing?
Tony says
Just put some dumpsters on Alfin’s ten acre homestead on Old Kings Road and I’ll gladly drive there with my garbage !!!
Billy says
Charge the rentals and air bnb’s extra, Most of them on Cottonwood Court have five or six large garbage pails out all of the time.
Celia Pugliese says
Thank you Councilwoman Pontieri for questioning the administrators why when city revenues increase is eaten away by the administration expenditures to the penny…You are right should not be that way! Also city shouldn’t have ever change our services from Waste Pro to FCC as now after Waste Pro bought the local Environmental Land Fill, FCC has to haul it all farther to Daytona Landfill…someone has to pay for it. These issue is live proof to all that growth and more housing DOES NOT bring more revenue to the city that benefits the tax base. The additional revenue is shown to be spent and the needed additional infrastructure is not paid by growth we are forced to share in spite of old and in need of update. We all are forced to pay for it! City administration spending like “drunken sailors” adding more management with all benefits and most to work on developers plans, more expensive equipment to also serve growth. By the way where is our street sweeper that I never see it? In our Lane I have to use weed spray in the asphalt so the weeds wont crack it and push it upwards loosing chunks creating holes on it! I do this because the last time city resurface it, was over 20 years ago and took me 2 years of complaints for the work to be done then. Now there are no funds for it. But yes 80 millions for expansion out west to benefit Rayonier and others. Very costly and not needed expansion. Meanwhile we are forced to share from our Ad Valorem taxes 45% to county and 23% city, then of course one more reason why city has insufficient funds to resurface roads. On top county decided to keep a larger share of the 1/2 cent tax approved a while a go by referendum, dedicated to roads last I saw it reported.
Celia Pugliese says
Me you are correct and in our survey done under Holland administration 68% of us said keep Waste Pro as if ain’t broke don’t fix it! Administrator running the city told the council as usual. So here we are now.
jeffery cortland seib says
Another fee increase hitting all of us when we have inflationed to death. How can the mayor and council be surprised in the slighted bit by this action? They signed off on the contract, I hope. Sure, it’s a small amount but so is a higher milage rate on property taxes considering the total amount that is based on home value? The question that needs to be asked is why did we change when after the contract comes up for renewal, we may end up with a ten percent increase over the life of the contract? I would encourage the mayor and council to pay stricter attention to staff negotiations and ride herd for the best deal that we can get in contract negotiations. This is similar to the state appropriations where everything for the city got vetoed except for eighty million for the ‘loop’ road extension.
Actually says
Waste Pro did not buy ELS, that was Waste Management
Skibum says
Thank you for your common sense response to all of this whining. Do people not have enough marbles between their ears to realize that garbage pickup is a PEOPLE business, requiring actual people working long hours in the hot sun, picking up everyone’s smelly garbage, dealing with the incessant complaining from the same people over and over again about missed or late pickups, etc. etc. etc. I guarandamntee you not one of these whiny complainers would sign up for the smelly garbage truck pick up jobs that would be vacant if the workers for FCC or any other company quit because they were overworked, not valued and respected AND didn’t receive raises occasionally. I for one thing these people on the trucks who come through our neighborhoods and rid us of all that we don’t want to see, smell or have to deal with any longer are godsends, and the small little increase that will be charged to residents is damn well worth what they do for us. To everyone who is complaining out there, put yourselves in the garbage trucks out in the hot sun every day in close proximity to all of the tons of smelly, yukky garbage, and see how long YOU would last in such a thankless job, THEN you would REALLY have something legitimate to complain about!!!
Ray W. says
As I recall, some 40 or so years ago, a few New England cities began issuing or selling garbage bags. Each picked up bag was counted. Everyone in the town paid per collected bag. If one used five bags per week, he or she paid five times the amount a single bag user paid. My memory of far distant events sometimes being poor, as I recall the state was Connecticut. Such a plan sure would prompt people to recycle into bins in order to reduce bag use.
Celia Pugliese says
Mary I am not saying the workers do not deserve it. Is hard work we all know it. But when the administrators got us with FCC our rates went up, already. I just wonder what else is in this contract…because definitely hauling to dump farther will add to cost. We are only two at home and our trash only is out only twice a month our recyclables as well. Thank you for caring for the workers…I always give them a holiday cash present.
Celia Pugliese says
Remember? This is what I recall: “The City Council approved FCC Environmental after it was recommended by a five-member committee of city staff which reviewed the responses to a request for proposals.
The new residential rate of $32.32 per month will take effect on June 1, 2023 when the company begins work in Palm Coast. Residents currently pay $29.97 per month”. https://www.news-journalonline.com/story/news/2022/07/08/palm-coast-hires-new-garbage-hauler-despite-waste-pro-workers-pleas/10006483002/
Stop The Insanity says
What about cutting back on garbage pickup to once a week?
Atwp says
We should expect increases. It is the way of life in Palm Coast. Let save for more increases it is going to happen.
PB says
Well said Celia!
Sonny says
My family garbage company started that managed fee by selling bags in the late 60’s. Worked well. FCC is thecwort company I’ve seen. Refuse to empty cans, leave in the road, they’re lazy, rude, slow I would have replaced all! Miss Waste Pro!
Denali says
With all respect, you act as though the rate increase will go into the pockets of those on the trucks. Guess again where it lands.
Looter says
Thank you for the clarification
Laurel says
Sonny: Your great Waste Pro, which you miss so much, is up to their old tricks by bypassing our whole neighborhood today. It’s after 8:00 pm, on recycle day, and all the recycle bins are still full up and down our street, but no fear, they will probably be here tomorrow and throw all our recycled stuff in with the regular garbage on garbage pickup day. Waste Pro is infamous for doing this for years here now. Totally bypassing us. Saves them a whole route. So, why are we recycling?
Laurel says
Waste Pro sucks. They skipped our whole neighborhood today, all the bins are still full and it’s almost dark out now, after 8:00 pm. They have been doing this to us for over a decade. We put out recycling Wednesday night for pickup on Thursdays…maybe mornings, maybe not. So, tomorrow, maybe they will come and toss the recycling on top of the garbage, being garbage pickup day. Great.
The best way for waste pickup is having the government do it. Flagler Beach has their own workers, and they are great. If Flagler Beach ever goes private, they will be in the same, bad situation Palm Coast and the county are in now. It always starts with a low bid, and once they are in, things change. Then they have their political buddies back them up. Predictable.
Laurel says
Stop: And pay the same? You know the charge. How about them just doing their job? I’m not talking about the workers, I’m talking about the companies.
Laurel says
Waste Pro is the worst.
Laurel says
Well, here it is, after 8:00 am Friday morning, and all the Thursday recycling and Friday garbage is still here. Raccoons got into the bin across the street. Common occurrence. Will Waste Pro pick it up? Some stuff, not all. Waste Pro has a long, long, long habit of skipping whole neighborhood routes but not prorating the customers for the lack of service.
Y’all miss Waste Pro? Really? I cannot tell you how much I wish the county would ditch them, but WP has low friends in high places, and we have the trash to prove it. They remain here, year after year. Skip routes year after year. Same old, same old. No break for the residents.
Laurel says
CP: WP is broke, and has been for years. Maybe they skip our neighborhood to show up in yours, but we pay the same, so why is that okay? You have more politicians living in your neighborhoods in PC?
Please, take WP and let us get someone else. WP sucks.
Laurel says
Skibum: Again, I’m complaining about Waste Pro, whom many feel is such a wonderful company, but I’m not complaining about the men on the job, I’m complaining about paying for service that continues, year after year, to be poor. Skipping routes is not up to the men on the truck, it’s up to management. Skipping whole neighborhoods is a company decision. Why am I sorting recycles from garbage, hauling it out to the street (we have very long driveways here in the Hammock) only to see that they skipped us altogether? So today, will they send two trucks out? One for recycling and one for garbage, or will they throw it altogether and not prorate us for their lack of service that is contractually agreed upon, and paid for? You know they are skipping routes to save money. Meanwhile, our stuff sits out there another day for raccoons to enjoy and spread around.
I’m complaining because WP has been doing this in the Hammock for years. Clearly, people in PC don’t have a clue that WP does this. So the Hammock looks trashy, even though we pay just like everyone else. Apparently, there are no commissioners living here.
Sometimes Flagler County sucks so bad. We never had this sort of trouble in South Florida. I am all for city employees for the service. They were so much better in Lake Worth, and they are so much better in Flagler Beach. As soon as this stuff goes private, with the low bid, things always change.
The absolute best is Palm Beach County’s Solid Waste Authority. They are smart, efficient and always involved in public education https://swa.org/149/Recycling but unfortunately for us, they only serve Palm Beach County. Flagler County is not much into public education. Maybe that’s why I am mad. I know better and see the difference, but pay the same as others in this county.
Laurel says
Vacation rentals don’t recycle.
Skibum says
I suppose we will never know exactly how the rate increase is used, but my better angels hopes that the workers will see some or most of it, especially due to the fact that wages and benefits make up the highest percentage of business costs and any business owner would be an idiot not to realize how important it is to keep their workers from quitting. But not knowing if or how much the rate increase will go to the workers is no reason to be against it. We don’t know where cost increases go to ANY business do we? Or do you make it a practice to ask, say a restaurant that raises their prices on the menu, if the cost of the meal increase goes to the servers? I would guess not, and this should be no different in my estimation. You may not agree, and that is ok if you think differently than I do. I prefer to be an optimist.
Skibum says
Laurel, I had no idea that you and others in the Hammock were having those issues with WP. Its hard to understand why their service would suck so much out where you live… at least for me, I didn’t see problems like you are experiencing in my neighborhood in the F Section of Palm Coast over the many years they serviced our city. Maybe WP knows the county “leaders” don’t give a hoot about what people think and are responding… or in your case NOT responding as they see fit. I’m hoping we get some better people elected to the county commission. Maybe things will change for the better for you if that happens. People need to vote out the slugs!
STR’s ruining PC says
VACATION PARTY HOUSES GARBAGE….
Residents unfortunate enough to live near these Party house motels have witnessed the giant piles of garbage generated by transients. Why this isn’t being addressed by officials is mind boggling! There’s a few hundred STR’s in Palm Coast now I’m told.
Many of the owners of the Short Term Slum Lords are out of State/country. They are just concerned about making money. They couldn’t care less about any City or neighborhood.
They’re destroying all neighborhoods and the trash is only one small side affect. Many advertise 12-20 people to stay in a single family house. But, there are usually more than that. It’s a “party house”, come on over. BYOB, we’ve got a pool!
The garbage from these nightmares is actually the lesser of many problems with Motels next to your single family zoned home.
Wake up people!!! You’re losing your safety and quality of life. And now you’re paying for them to make money! Please protect your little children. It’s not safe.
Unsupervised commercial businesses do not belong in neighborhoods.
Period.