Pasco board adopts final year of seven‑year solid‑waste assessment as businesses and residents complain about billing process
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Summary
The Board approved the seventh year of a phased disposal assessment to fund expansion of the county's waste‑to‑energy operations. Commercial owners and residents urged changes to billing and collection timing after receiving large annual special assessment bills.
The Pasco County Board of County Commissioners approved the seventh year of a phased increase in the annual disposal assessment on Sept. 3 to help fund expansion of the county’s waste‑to‑energy facility and cover rising operating costs.
Kevin Pliska, solid waste director, told the board the multi‑year plan was designed to spread capital costs so customers would not face a single large jump: "This 7 year plan was meant to prevent big shock to the customers, phasing this in rather than 1 big chunk," he said. Pliska said the assessment increase for the year equates to a $7 increase per equivalent residential unit and translates to an average proposed annual residential assessment per ERU of $114.
Pliska said the county’s approach still keeps Pasco near the low end of comparable Florida waste‑to‑energy municipalities once hauling and disposal are included. "We have a very good robust system, and we're still at the low end of the price point," he told the commissioners.
But commercial property owners and residents urged the county to change the timing and transparency of how disposal charges are billed. David Tuttle, who identified himself as owner of a Golden Corral in Zephyrhills, described receiving a recent assessment that was much higher than previous years and said the annual reconciliation process leaves businesses unable to budget: "When you're a business, you wanna forecast a $15,000 solid waste assessment ... There's no way to budget until the county sends the notice about this time every year," he said.
Other speakers said commercial assessments are calculated differently than residential charges — by container size and frequency, by weight for compactors, or by business category — and that those formulas are complex and can produce unexpected large annual bills. Staff said some commercial accounts can be reclassified if they were billed as commercial but should qualify for residential rates, and staff offered to meet individually with affected account holders.
The board approved the resolution establishing the proposed annual adjustments, authorizing execution of required documents and directing staff to file final certifications with the property appraiser and tax collector. Commissioners and staff said they will explore procedural changes to reduce the year‑end "sticker shock," including better outreach, additional audits, and options to smooth assessments into monthly charges where legally and operationally feasible.
Ending: Pliska described the increase as the final year in the assessment sequence funding the plant expansion; staff said future rate and assessment levels will depend on outcomes from the expansion, energy‑contract revenue, and operational performance.
