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Ocala consultant urges two-year phased trash-rate increases; council asks options including ending curbside recycling
Summary
A Raftelis study recommended a two-year, phased solid-waste rate increase (roughly $4.30/month for a typical single-family household) to prevent a projected capital shortfall and maintain reserves; council asked staff to return with options including ending single-stream curbside recycling and phasing out a long-standing Trinity Villas discount.
Ocala City Council members heard Nov. 12 from consultant Raftelis that the city’s solid-waste enterprise is facing rising costs that a two-year phased rate increase would help address.
"If we take no action," consultant Terry Bovary told the council, "that's not a very sustainable business operation." Bovary said solid-waste-related inflation has outpaced general CPI and a recent increase in disposal/tipping fees drove a sharp rise in operating costs between fiscal 2025 and 2026. The consultant recommended a two-year phase-in that would raise a typical residential bill roughly $4.30 per month over that period and restore a capital replacement program and reserve levels.
Bovary said the proposed schedule would allow the utility to maintain about 90 days of operating reserves and recommended automatic annual indexing to keep rates tied to inflation after the phase-in. He also warned that without adjustments, the fund balance could begin to go negative as early as 2027.
The presentation included a proposal for a new compactor pull fee for properties that use compactors. "Based on an…
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