PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. —
Port St. Lucie residents are being asked in a straw poll whether they would support paying more for an additional weekly trash pickup, with the proposal adding at least $131 annually to the residential solid-waste assessment.
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Right now, residents receive one garbage pickup per week. The proposed change would increase costs by about $11 per month, with service potentially starting in 2028 if the city moves forward.
“This is something that is nonbinding, but it gives City Council an opportunity to get a sense of the will of the people and what they would prefer to see,” said Scott Samples, spokesperson for the city of Port St. Lucie.
The city emphasized that the poll is not a final decision. A “yes” vote would indicate support for the additional cost, while a “no” vote would signal opposition. However, the results will not automatically change the current trash pickup schedule.
City Council controls the trash contract and service levels, meaning any changes would require council approval and an updated agreement with the current waste management provider, FCC Environmental Services. The city also noted that a second pickup would be an ongoing expense and could increase with inflation.
“City Council would take this up. They would have to work with the vendor to understand what the logistics of that would be. And then, the City Council would then vote on whether or not to move forward with this,” Samples said.
The poll aims to provide city leaders with insight into residents’ preferences, but the final decision will rest with the City Council.
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