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Century Hikes Garbage Rates By 36 Percent
April 18, 2017
The Century Town Council officially voted Monday night hike residential garbage rates by 36 percent.
Century’s 545 garbage customers currently pay $16.98 to per month. In order to stop financial losses in the garbage department, Mayor Henry Hawkins proposed the increase $6.21 per month, for a total bill of $23.19. The increase will allow the town to continue to collect bulk items such as furniture and appliances and vegetative waste.
The council rejected the idea of offering a discount for low income senior citizens as recommended by Council President Ann Brooks.
Pictured top: Century Mayor Henry Hawkins discusses garbage rates at a Monday night meeting of the town council. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
Comments
16 Responses to “Century Hikes Garbage Rates By 36 Percent”
If you find this condition undesirable, then vote him out.
This increase is less than a pack of cigarettes and a can of beer, held in the hand covered with a paper sack plus a scratch off ticket. Does that put it in perspective? No whining please.
Rutroh raggie…….Can you say annex?
Re: Lisa no it is a economic issue,, lot in Century can not afford it as it is,, I have friends there on Social Security and can not afford a lot,,, As for Trash pick up it’s pure fact if you can’t afford it you do what you se as the next step.. There is a pile of windows at the bridge (or was) on Hwy4 I can almost tell you they came from a Mobile home and where that home is , ,, Cant afford pick up
The decision by the mayor and the council to raise the garbage rate 36 percent had to be a painful decision. I feel for Century’s ratepayers, but I also feel for the officials who felt they had no choice but to do it.
Services must be provided by the town government; otherwise, the community gets dirtier, and/or its sewage pollutes the river, and/or its drinking water becomes contaminated. And these services MUST be paid for, and there is no one to pay for them but the residents of the community.
Costs of government services are not increasing only in Century. They are increasing in ALL communities. Graft and waste? There is precious little of that in a small community like Century, where all aspects of government are easily observed by many citizens. No, the higher rate is not due to graft and waste; and, yes, the service must be paid for by the only people who can pay for it, the citizens of the community.
I know that a large rate increase is an irritant to everyone and a genuine hardship on some, but I respect the elected officials who have accepted the responsibility to do the necessary thing. I don’t expect many citizens of Century to thank these officials for raising the garbage rate, but they deserve respect for shouldering a thankless task.
@just listening
Talk to Council Woman Brooks. I believe she is a wonderful accountant and may be inclined to look over the books quarterly.
Takes a village–to run a village:)
@Citizen
If you call the town of Century and report it, they will put in a work order and have the broken garbage can replaced. If a lot of Citizen do realize, they are the eyes and ears and hands and can report things in a respectful way and get things done and help that way. You have more power then you know.
They probably do not even know it is broke, the guy in the truck doesn’t see it either. It is up to you to ensure the service you are paying for is being done properly.
I’ll pay it.
As far as trash and litter, the offenders should be caught and fined. Set up an anonymous hotline and how it can be reported. $500 fine, community service.
At the grocery store, dollar stores. etc. If anyone leaves trash, receipts, in the cart, in the parking lots–It blows out, down the road.
Employees at the stores, especially the Food Giant and Coin Laundry please pick up in and around the parking lot. Especially those ice bags near the Welcome to Century, Welcome to Florida sign.
People leave the ice bags on the poles,(littering)– they blow off, down the road in the storm drains and will eventually clog it, costing the town big bucks $$$, passed on to the citizens courtesy of the people who litter.
We do care!
We see you.
It’s common sense. The town of century is there to operate within a budget. If it’s losing money then rates need to go up. Government should never be in place to give you something for free. If your household bill’s exceed you income then you have to gunderstand a way to make more money or cut back. And I agree with Lisa. People will dump their trash no matter what the rates.
Thank you Mr mayor.you are just so full of wonderful ideas.
Keep the clean water running in, the other running out and the garbage picked up. Keep the books balanced and the town’s finances to where they need to be. That’s a good thing as far as we are concerned. Taxes and utility rates are the price to pay to live in a civilized clean environment.
Sure we wish it was free…But we live in the real world.
We compared some rates on all the utilities through out Florida and we aren’t moving!
Thank you employees, council, consultants, economic developers and others for all your hard work and for looking hard at the rates studies and books.
Hard job, but some body’s gotta do it.
Makes you long for the days of having to divine for water and punch a well and go out to the outhouse and read the Sears Catalog —NOT!!!!!
In my opinion, people who haul trash to the woods and rivers aren’t doing it because they can’t afford to pay for garbage pick up services. They just don’t care about property–either public or other people’s private property. They’re the same kind of people who leave dirty diapers on the creek bank or dump out unwanted litters of puppies or kittens on isolated dirt roads. Someone recently threw out a pool ladder on our road. Apparently they could afford to buy a pool and a ladder, fill it with water, treat it with chemicals and enjoy it until something went wrong. Then they decided to just throw their trash out on my road. This is not an economic issue. This is a responsibility issue.
I’m with Bama. Century is a poor city. How is it that they think the residents can afford 36%? More people are going to take truck loads of trash and dump it at dead end roads and in the woods.
Raising garbage rates is just a start—just watch and see. Century franchises out the garbage collection anyway and those people seem satisfied with what they charge right now. Century should be using the franchise fee they get from the collection company to cover the towns cost of picking up bulk items rather than burdening the citizens. The town is suppose to give the citizens services and conveniences NOT making a profit off of them. Get REAL Mayor Hawkins and Town Council. So far all I have seen from our new Mayor and most new Councilmen is giving raises to employees and raising rates.
I agree with bama. The previous mayor didn’t manage the towns money right now we have to pay extra to fix it. Don’t seem fair. $23 for trash pick up when the trash cans are getting broke by the truck now we have to drag our can cause the wheels are broke by the trash truck.
I see a lotta trash being hauled to the woods and rivers,, $16.98 is more than I paid in a small town. This towns Government is pure #%$% ,They are making the citizens pay for their poor Money management