Port St. Lucie city council voted Monday to distribute $24 million from a settlement with former trash hauler Waste Pro through the tax roll rather than sending checks to residents. The tax roll option allows the city to distribute funds directly to properties using an established system. Council members also voted against reimbursing the city for prior emergency solid waste expenses in the general fund.
The settlement concludes years of trash collection problems in Port St. Lucie. In 2021, both Waste Pro and the city filed lawsuits against each other, with Waste Pro citing labor shortages and the city arguing breach of contract regarding service standards. After the settlement announcement in April, Mayor Shannon Martin said she was committed to ensuring residents received compensation for their experiences. However, resident Kelly Lee raised concerns about fair distribution, noting that some people who lived in the city during the trash problems have since moved away, while new residents who never paid into Waste Pro are still receiving funds. Scott Samples with the city said staff have collected data and created scenarios to present recommendations to council, with the goal of making the best decision possible and remediating the issues residents experienced.