Dade City Commissioners adopted an ordinance on July 14 that raises monthly solid waste disposal fees from $15.26 to $20 for eligible residents. The new rate covers solid waste, recyclables, and landscape waste, including yard and garden trash. The increase applies to single-family residences and certain residential duplexes and apartments within the city where dumpster service is not provided. Waste Pro is the contractor that handles waste collection for the city.
City officials cited the need to fund administrative actions as one reason for the rate hike. Future fee increases will be tied to the Consumer Price Index, meaning residents can expect incremental adjustments over time rather than large one-time jumps. The previous $15.26 rate had applied to a broader range of housing types, including triplexes, townhouses, condominiums, and other multi-family residences. Learn more about the ordinance through the Hernando Sun.
Also at the July 14 meeting, Police Chief Ann Starling swore in five new officers to the Dade City Police Department. The new officers are Joel Corrales, Steven DeRolf, Yondra Estrada, James Kessner Jr., and Shawn Stepp. Corrales, DeRolf, and Estrada each bring prior law enforcement experience from other departments in the Tampa Bay area. Kessner Jr. and Stepp are recent academy graduates. Kessner Jr. completed his training at Wilton Simpson Technical College in Brooksville, while Stepp graduated from the Law Enforcement Academy at the Dade City campus of Pasco-Hernando State College, which is also named after Wilton Simpson, currently Florida’s Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Services. DeRolf previously served in the United States Army, and Stepp served in the United States Air Force, with both receiving honorable discharges. Several of the new officers will fill existing vacancies within the department.
Originally reported by Hernando Sun
Sources: Hernando Sun
