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Apopka sanitation and fleet budgets rise as tipping fees and vehicle costs climb
Summary
Public Services Director Josh Robinson told council that sanitation will face a 23% increase in FY26 costs largely from higher Orange County tipping fees and added collection needs. Fleet requested limited capital this year but additional maintenance positions; sanitation is planning a 15% rate increase to rebuild reserves.
Josh Robinson, public services director, presented the sanitation and fleet portions of the FY26 budget, describing collection volumes, vehicle inventories and reserve needs.
Robinson said the sanitation division collects slightly more than 40,000 tons of solid waste annually — about 21,000 tons of residential waste and 11,000 tons of commercial waste — and operates 27 trucks with 16 daily collection routes. For the combined sanitation and fleet budget, personnel accounts for about 37% and operating expenses about 44% of the proposed outlay.
Why it matters: Rising Orange County tipping fees and higher garbage‑truck capital costs are increasing operating pressure on the sanitation fund; staff said a 15% rate increase is included in the FY26 plan to rebuild negative reserves and to create contingency funding.
Details and driver items: Robinson said sanitation will face an approximately 23% cost increase this year primarily because Orange County disposal fees rose and are expected to continue rising. Fleet reported no major capital need this year but requested 1 mechanic and a maintenance worker; sanitation requested 1 additional operator and one rear‑loader garbage truck to add a collection route. The budget includes temporary labor lines for yard‑waste season and varying spare/rental truck usage while new rear‑loader deliveries are scheduled in September.
Council questions: Commissioners pressed about the fund balance and reserves. Staff reported the sanitation fund had been negative in prior years and that the FY26 proposal includes a $950,000 contingency to help rebuild reserves. When asked, staff said they could provide a historical 10‑year breakdown of the sanitation fund and of transfers to the general fund on request.
What’s next: Staff said they will provide commissioners with fund‑balance history and a clearer breakdown of the transfer to the general fund and the reserve build plan; the rate consultant has recommended a multi‑year rate path and staff said they have included a 15% increase for FY26 in the model.
