Franklin County Commissioners investigating the cost of mandatory trash pick up

Franklin County commissioners are taking the first steps toward mandatory garbage service for Franklin county residents.

The commission agreed this week to begin investigating the costs of requiring garbage service for all households which could include either recycling service or yard trash pickup.

The action is being taken to address the growing problem of household trash being left on the sides of roads where it then becomes everyone’s problem.

Franklin County provides roadside pickup for yard trash and say that many people who do not have trash pickup simply hide their household trash under their yard trash so that the county picks it up.

Others put their trash in other people cans or throw it in recycling bins, where the county still has to deal with it.

Franklin County’s roadside pickup program costs about $400,000 a year to operate and that does not include any capital cost for buying new equipment.

Solid waste director Fonda David said going to mandatory trash pickup would be a big help to the solid waste department because it would mean less trash that his department has to separate and dispose of.

Besides saving money, it would also help the landfill from falling behind on its yard trash pickup schedule, which in turn would help the county look better.

And it might even keep black bears from being so active in communities since there would be less easily accessible garbage to eat.

Alan Pierce said that Wakulla County already has mandatory garbage service and it is a charge paid on the property tax bill. 

Wakulla County residents pay $180 a year, which is equivalent to $15 dollars per month – that’s less than most people in Franklin County pay for garbage service. 

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