unRavel

Trash Talk: Is your garbage fee going up?

It seems that every day Market Snapshot's photographer visits a neighborhood, it is garbage-pickup day. Argh! Staff photo / Harold Bubil; 9-13-2016.

The federal government may shut down this weekend, but that ain’t gonna stop local governments from starting their own fiscal years on time.

For some area residents, that’ll mean an increase to their monthly or annual garbage and recycling fees. Here is a look at some of the charges:

Sarasota

In the Sarasota city limits, residential rates will increase $1 to $22.66 per month for the 96-gallon trash cart collected weekly by the city.

Commercial rates will increase almost $7 to $30.89 per month for that same sized cart.

City rates haven’t been adjusted since 2010, when they went down $3 and pickups were reduced to once per week for residential customers, Deputy City Manager Marlon Brown said. Since then residents have paid more than commercial businesses, which still have twice-weekly pickups, so the rate changes will shift the balance back to businesses, he said.

Venice

Rates will increase 5 percent for residents and businesses within the Venice city limits.

Residential customers will see a 48-cent increase to $10.04 per month, in a new fee schedule approved by city leaders this week. The city’s recycling charge also will increase 36 cents to $7.64 per month.

Commercial rates vary a ton (get it?!) based on whether a property owns its own dumpster, rents its waste container and how the bin must be handled when trash is collected, but every fee is being adjusting the same, so just add 5 percent to what you pay now, city Public Works Director John Veneziano said.

Sarasota County

Unincorporated county rates will not increase. The county levies an annual assessment of $159.48 per single family home or $134.94 per multi-family residential unit, like an apartment.

North Port

City leaders endorsed keeping municipal rates the same in the coming year, for the ninth year in a row. The city charges a $249 annual assessment.

Manatee County

Rates will not increase this year after an increase in November raised the solid waste portion of residents utility bill by 72 cents to $14.33 per month.