Port Saint Lucie (Miami, Port St. Lucie, Fort Pierce: theatre, school, college)

[LingLing]

Originally Posted by pslOldTimer

No, you are technically not wrong. However, while Tradition lies within the incorporated borders of the city, it is a very different community than most of Port St. Lucie. It is a special taxing district, which, like St. Lucie West, sets it apart from the rest of the city. Essentially, you have everything the rest of the city has in terms of police, etc., and in the case you cite, waste collection. You also have additional services not available in the rest of the city, for which you pay more. You have different zoning standards, different landscaping standards, different aesthetic standards, different minimum house size and minimum lot size standards, and much more. All of those factors were set by the developer, Core Development, wherein the rest of the city, they are set by the city departments.

By the way, the waste "tax" notice you received is not really a tax. It specifically says in the notice that it is not part of the ad valorem taxes, which are those taxes based on the value of your property. Properly, the waste amount is a fee, charged for the collection of waste (trash and garbage). In reality, the trash collection will remain in the hands of private contractors, but rather than billing you direct, the private trash companies will now be paid by the city, with the city collecting the money from you through the tax collection mechanism. This eliminates the billing and accounting costs for the contractor and ensures that every property will pay for waste collection. The lower costs associated with this are being passed on to the residents; we were paying approximately $280+ per year, now it will be approximately $240+ per year (I don't have my notice in front of me and am going from memory). In other words, it is a Good Thing.

Thank you, pslot. Do you mean the ~$249 collected by the city will replace the ~$280 charged by the waste pro? If it is true, it is a good news. I thought it will add on.

[ddlove01]

Hmmm, I just got a bill from Waste Pro, should I pay it? I could really use the $70.50. : )

[pslOldTimer]

Originally Posted by LingLing

Thank you, pslot. Do you mean the ~$249 collected by the city will replace the ~$280 charged by the waste pro? If it is true, it is a good news. I thought it will add on.

That's my understanding. I know we had paid Waste Pro for a year in advance in order to get a slightly lower rate, and we recently were credited with the remaining portion and billed for a small amount without being offered the opportunity to pay in advance again. that looks to me like they are wrapping up their billing system.

This was from the June 11, 2007 Council meeting:

Gave preliminary approval to a proposal to change the city’s solid waste
ordinance to allow trash bills to be put on the tax rolls. The change means
property owners may see reduced rates for trash pickup, and fees would
no longer be paid quarterly if the proposal is granted final approval after
another public hearing.

And, on June 25th, this action:

Approved a plan to change the city’s solid
waste ordinance to allow trash bills to be
put on the tax rolls. The change means property owners will see reduced
rates for trash pickup, and fees will no longer be paid quarterly.

[ddlove01]

I called the City of PSL. The current bill sent last week should be paid to Waste Pro because the tax addendum won't go into affect until October. The bill from Waste Pro (conveniently) is from July - October. Oh well, one last bill isn't going to hurt me too much!

Originally Posted by ddlove01

Hmmm, I just got a bill from Waste Pro, should I pay it? I could really use the $70.50. : )

[LingLing]

Just curious. Did you ever receive a bill from Waste pro for gasoline surcharge, $10.50 per month, totaling $63.00 for the past six months? I am new in the area so I paid the bill. Later I learned, none of my neighbors received the bill. I called Waste Pro and was told that everyone would receive the bill. This was three month ago. So far, none of my neighbors has received that bill. It is strange so I have kept asking around about it. Everyone told me to call them for a refund. Since my current bill doesn't have the surcharge, I will let it pass. But if I receive that bill again, I will really work hard to figure out what is going on.

[ddlove01]

LingLing, no I have not received that bill, neither have my in-laws, friends or coworkers. I would definitely call for a refund. Waste Pro is a huge organization. Did most of your neighbors move in around the time you did?

[pslOldTimer]

call Mayor Pat Christianson's office and ask them if they know anything about it. I have every reason to believe the Mayor will see or hear of your request. You see, her husband is a former executive for Waste Management (the predecessor to Waste Pro), and Pat, herself, worked for Waste Management. If Waste Pro is pulling anything on the residents, Pat will investigate. She is a Good Person.

[LingLing]

Hi, ddlove01 and pslOT,
Thank you every much. I will check into the Mayor's office.

[FLBoy123]

I lived in Fort Lauderdale for 2 years and moved to Lake Okeechobee I weant to PSL alot with my friends. I didn't see any big deal about it. My friends just liked it cause Okeechobee is nothing. I live in Richmond Va now with my parents finishing school. Im going to Miami when im done with college. I know alot of people don't like it there but I do. Plus alot of my friends are there. The schools suck in Florida I can tell.

[tao]

City Center, the future Port St. Lucie downtown, is going to be amazing. I think it will make a huge difference here.