Starting Oct. 1, Waste Pro is launching its new and improved services — alongside a large rate increase — for its Leon County customers living outside city limits.
Mailed flyers advertising the promised service updates and increased rate left many customers in sticker shock.
Pate, who has been living in her home in Killearn Acres more than 25 years, said she would love to see improvements because the service has been consistently poor.
“I’ll believe it when I see it,” Teresa Pate said.
Debris and trash is frequently strewn in the streets after pickups, trash is often not picked up on time, cans are left in the path of cars and are open collecting rain, she said.
“I hope with the new service I won’t have to look at other people’s garbage for weeks and weeks and weeks,” she said.
30,000 Leon customers in line for 54% price hike
Waste Pro’s mailer assured around 30,000 Leon County customers its “upcoming service improvements and changes” will include weekly trash and recycling collection, weekly bulky item pickup instead of individual scheduling and weekly yard debris pickup up to eight cubic yards.
The flyer also alerted customers the going rate for service will now be $23.17 a month instead of $15.03 a month — a 54% increase.
This increase is affecting customers outside of the city limits, but city residents will also be experiencing a price hike. City commissioners approved a 5% increase for residential trash collection fees in the city’s 2024 budget. Rates were raised from residential trash collection fees.
“Our customers pay amongst the lowest in the state for similar services,” Waste Pro said in a statement to the Tallahassee Democrat. “Waste Pro is a proud long-term vendor to Leon County. We look forward to continuing service in Leon County on October 1st.”
Leon County officials also say residents have historically lower rates than other places. A staff analysis from March showed that before the rate increase, monthly bills in Leon were lower than 11 other comparable counties.
“In part, the rate increase represents a return to market norms, as county rates have been disproportionally low for the past decade with customers currently paying 75% less than residents in other counties in the state,” county staff wrote.
Price hike comes after record number of complaints last year
The rate change comes as the county experienced a spike in grievances. According to county documents, complaints skyrocketed from 573 in 2021 to 4,602 in 2022 — more than a 700% increase.
Pate said the rate increase “is what it is” considering inflation is raising the cost of everything, but the services have been notably worse the last few years so it would be nice to get what they pay for.
One customer noted they would “gladly pay the increase of $8 a month for the new service.” Many others aired their frustrations over Nextdoor, an app for neighborhoods.
“I didn’t want to believe it, but I guess it’s reality now,” a Killearn Lakes resident said.
“I could not believe it when I got the notification,” another resident said. “This is just ridiculous. They better do a better job of picking up garbage and recycle.”
Commissioner Brian Welch posted a Facebook announcement detailing more stipulations of the county’s contract with the business. In addition to the services Waste Pro mentioned in their mail notice, the waste company must have field supervisors present on daily routes, voicemails are to be returned within 1 hour and after hours voicemails returned within 1 day. Local call centers will be staffed with local people and litter or spills must be cleaned up within 24 hours.
“As you can see, county administration developed a very detailed and broad scope of requirements in the new contract,” Welch said in his post. “As always, if you have ANY problems with your Waste Pro service, please don’t hesitate to reach out to my office and we can escalate the issue ASAP.”
Citizens experiencing issues with their services can reach out directly to Waste Pro by calling (850) 606-1899 or filling out their online reporting form, Leon County spokesperson Matt Cavell said.
If residents need additional help, Cavell said the county staff can be reached at (850) 606-1800 or by emailing SolidWasteServiceSolutions@LeonCountyFL.gov. The county also has an online reporting form, Citizens Connect.
“Our county team is happy to help coordinate with Waste Pro and resolve any outstanding issues,” Cavell said
Elena Barrera can be reached at ebarrera@tallahassee.com. Follow her on Twitter @elenabarreraaa.
