Port St. Lucie residents will receive credits on their property tax bills following a $24 million settlement with Waste Pro, the city's former trash hauler. The city council voted unanimously to distribute all settlement funds back to residents who experienced service problems during 2021 and 2022. Rather than receiving checks, residents will see credits applied directly to their property tax bills. Mayor Shannon Martin stated, "From the beginning, I have maintained that the funds should be to benefit the residents who experienced the issues in 2021 and 2022."
The dispute between the city and Waste Pro began in 2021 when both parties filed lawsuits against each other. The city claimed the company breached its service contract and failed to meet required standards, while Waste Pro attributed the problems to pandemic-related labor shortages. The settlement allows the city to recover costs from the litigation, a new waste site, and the transition to a new service provider. Not all residents will receive equal credits, as the city tailored payouts based on the extent of service disruptions experienced by different property owners.
More than 5,700 properties with the same owner continuously since 2022 will receive $364 credits. The city determined these households experienced the most significant problems, including service interruptions, during Waste Pro's breach of contract. Councilman David Pickett explained the reasoning, saying, "They're the ones that suffered who went through the litigation, and now it's time to reward them for the suffering they did." Thousands of other homes will receive $64 credits due to rate increases that occurred during the service breach period.
Additional categories of properties will also receive $64 credits. The city identified 24,676 properties where ownership changed since 2022 but cannot determine whether the changes resulted from trusts, marriages, divorces, or relocations. Former owners cannot be reached to verify circumstances. The same $64 credit applies to 13,241 newly constructed properties, as these households also paid rate increases. However, residents who sold one home and purchased another within the city during this period may submit documentation proving continuous ownership and claim the remaining $300 credit on the following year's tax bill. The city will establish the claims process after review by city staff and the legal department, with a 180-day window for submissions. One resident, Kelly Lee, expressed satisfaction with the council's approach, saying, "I was pleasantly surprised with the outcome. The city presented well thought out plans."