Trash fees going up for 350,000 Miami-Dade households? Here’s how much bills could rise
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More than 350,000 homes would see a 27% increase in fees they pay Miami-Dade County for twice-weekly garbage pickup under legislation passed last week by county commissioners.
The $150 increase to the current $547 yearly county garbage fee would apply to all homes outside municipal limits, as well as homes inside the nine municipalities that contract with Miami-Dade for trash services. Recycling, picked up twice a month, is also included in the fee.
Though the legislation increasing the fees passed in an 8 to 4 vote by county commissioners, there’s still a chance they’ll stay flat. Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava has until Friday to veto the legislation.
READ MORE: Higher trash fees coming in Miami-Dade, but financial strains remain from garbage
Without the higher fee, Miami-Dade’s Department of Solid Waste Management predicted it would need to borrow about $39 million in 2025 to pay for collection services, extending a pattern of deficit spending at the underfunded agency. Levine Cava proposed a flat fee in her 2025 budget, but the commission opted to charge more in order to bring revenue in line with expenses for the county’s fleet of garbage trucks.
“Let’s just pay for what we’re doing right now,” Commission Chair Oliver Gilbert, sponsor of the fee legislation, said at the July 16 meeting.
The higher fee vote came weeks before Levine Cava and three commissioners — Roberto Gonzalez, Keon Hardemon and Raquel Regalado — face voters on Aug. 20 for their reelection bids. One of Levine Cava’s challengers, Miami Lakes Mayor Manny Cid, is likening higher trash fees to a tax hike.
“The middle class continues to be crushed by Levine Cava and her team of elites,” Cid said in a statement after the vote.
READ MORE: Miami-Dade’s garbage fees and tax rates stay flat in 2025 budget plan by Levine Cava
Voting against the higher fees were commissioners Gonzalez and Regalado, along with commissioners René Garcia and Anthony Rodriguez. Commissioner Kevin Cabrera did not attend the meeting.
Last week, a Levine Cava spokesperson declined to say whether the mayor was considering a veto of the trash-fee ordinance.
“The Mayor looks forward to meeting with her leadership team... as we work to bring fiscal accountability and future-ready service to Miami-Dade residents,” Natalia Jaramillo, communications director for Levine Cava, said in a statement.
Even if the mayor vetoed the fee increase, nine commissioners could overturn the veto at the next meeting, if all 13 commissioners attend. While the next regular commission meeting isn’t scheduled until Sept. 4, there is a placeholder on the commission’s calendar for an Aug. 1 meeting if one is needed for a veto override vote or another unexpected matter.
