Garbage pickup fees to jump 9%

MADEIRA BEACH -- Looking to offset operational losses in sanitation, commissioners on Monday approved a 9 percent rate increase for garbage pickup over the next fiscal year. The $15.60 fee for a single-family residence would rise to $17.

Results of a two-day budget workshop also included replacing the Crystal Island Bridge and burying utilities along Pelican Lane behind John's Pass Village.

The proposed budget of $11.5-million leaves the current millage rate of 2.2 intact. A mill represents $1 for every $1,000 of taxable value. Because assessed property values are expected to rise by nearly 15 percent this year, owners will pay more in taxes.

For example, the owner of a $200,000 home currently pays about $385 in taxes, with a $25,000 homestead exemption deducted from the taxable value. With a 14.6 percent rise in property values, that same homeowner next year will pay $449.

Replacing the Crystal Island Bridge accounts for the largest expenditure at $1.3-million.

Engineering bids on a new design have gone out, City Manager Jim Madden told commissioners. Repairing the bridge would cost as much as starting from scratch, Madden said.

All recommendations by the budget committee must be approved by the full commission, usually by late August or early September.

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