by James Coulter
City residents will pay an additional $2.07 per month for solid waste services now that pickups have been changed to weekly rather than biweekly.
At their recent meeting on Tues. May 20, 2025, Lake Wales City Commissioners approved the second reading of an ordinance to amend their five-year contract for solid waste services with Republic Services of Florida.
The amendment will schedule bulk and yard waste pickup from every two weeks to every week. This change will lead to an additional cost increase of $2.07 per month, or $24.84 annually.
“In early 2025, solid waste services relating to bulk and yard waste removal were changed from every week to every other week to try to keep costs down,” wrote City Manager James Slaton in the city agenda memo.
“After feedback from the citizens, bulk and yard waste removal will be moved back to weekly service,” he further elucidated. “This service change would be effective on July 1, 2025.”
