East Hillsborough News

Public hearing to set rates on July 20

Despite rising service costs, Hillsborough County Solid Waste Management is not requesting an increase in the residential solid waste collection and disposal assessments for 2023 thanks to an innovative idea to hold rates flat.

On June 2, the Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners approved drafting a revision to the County ordinances to change the solid waste assessment period from Calendar Year (Jan. to Dec.) to Fiscal Year (Oct. to Sept.) to better align revenue collection with operational spending. This provides a significant one-time benefit to hold the rates flat for residents in 2023.

The solid waste collection and disposal assessments pay for the County's cost of providing the following services for single-family residential customers:

• Two garbage collections per week
• One recycling collection per week
• One yard waste collection per week
• Disposal of up to 10 cubic yards of self-hauled bulky waste (such as furniture and tires) at the five Hillsborough County Community Collection Centers
• Disposal of up to two tons of self-hauled yard waste at the County's two yard-waste processing facilities
• Disposal of limited quantities of household hazardous waste, household electronics, paint, and batteries brought to various County collection facilities.

How much are the proposed 2023 solid waste assessments?

• The total increase per household will be $0.
• The proposed 2023 rate for the collection assessment remains $234.47 per unit.
• The proposed 2023 rate for the disposal assessment remains $118.32 per unit.
• Senior citizens 65 and older may be eligible for a 28.75% discount on their disposal assessment.
• Qualifying low-income homeowners may be eligible for the Solid Waste Management Hardship/Affordability Credit program for up to a $60 credit on their solid waste collection and disposal assessment.

At the public hearing at 10 a.m. on July 20, 2022, the Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners is scheduled to vote to approve or disapprove the proposed assessment rates. Property owners are automatically assessed annually each November on their residential property tax bill.

• Proposed 2023 Solid Waste Assessments FAQs: https://www.hillsboroughcounty.org/en/residents/property-owners-and-renters/trash-and-recycling/proposed-solid-waste-assessments

_{Source:  https://www.hillsboroughcounty.org/en/newsroom/2022/06/30/no-proposed-increase-in-solid-waste-assessments-for-2023}