Solid Waste Hardship Credit Available For Hillsborough Residents

HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, FL — Hillsborough County Solid Waste is offering eligible homeowners financial assistance to help cover a portion of their annual solid waste management non- ad valorem tax assessment fee.

The Solid Waste Management Hardship/Affordability Credit program for qualifying low-income homeowners is designed to provide up to a $60 credit (a $45 credit against the disposal fee and $15 credit against the collection fee) that will be issued against the solid waste collection and disposal fee for an approved property.

Qualifications include the following:

• The property must be located within the Hillsborough County solid waste service area and be assessed the solid waste management disposal and/or collection assessment on the annual property tax bill. 
• The home must be a single-family residence in Hillsborough County that is owner-occupied and has a homestead exemption. 
• The property must have a taxable value of less than $100,000 after exemptions. 
• The total income of all residents within the household, including owners of the property, must be at or below 100 percent of the Federal Poverty Level as determined each year by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.  

Applicants must apply and submit all required supporting documentation by July 31 for the 2023 assessment.

Required documents include the following:

• A copy of the applicant’s 2021 federal income tax return to verify household income.
• A copy of valid identification for all adults living in the home.
• A copy of identification for all children living in the home, such as birth certificate, school records or immunization records. 

If approved, the county will pay a portion of the homeowner's solid waste management disposal and/or collection assessment for the approved year. Property owners must re-apply annually to be eligible for credits in future tax years.

County To Hold Line On Waste Fees

In the meantime, despite rising service costs, Hillsborough County Solid Waste Management is not requesting an increase in the residential solid waste collection and disposal assessments for 2023 thanks to an innovative idea to hold rates flat.

On June 2, the Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners approved drafting a revision to the county ordinances to change the solid waste assessment period from the calendar year to the fiscal year (October to September) to better align revenue collection with operational spending.

The commission is scheduled to vote to approve or disapprove the proposed assessment rates July 20.

This provides a significant one-time benefit to hold the rates flat for residents in 2023.

The solid waste collection and disposal assessments pay for the county's cost of providing the following services for single-family residential customers:

• Two garbage collections per week
• One recycling collection per week
• One yard waste collection per week
• Disposal of up to 10 cubic yards of self-hauled bulky waste (such as furniture and tires) at the five Hillsborough County Community Collection Centers
• Disposal of up to 2 tons of self-hauled yard waste at the county's two yard-waste processing facilities
• Disposal of limited quantities of household hazardous waste, household electronics, paint and batteries brought to various County collection facilities.

The proposed 2023 rate for the collection assessment remains $234.47 per unit.

• The proposed 2023 rate for the disposal assessment remains $118.32 per unit. Senior citizens age 65 and older may be eligible for a 28.75 percent discount on their disposal assessment.

Property owners are automatically assessed annually each November on their residential property tax bill.

Proposed 2023 Solid Waste Assessments FAQs

To learn more and apply for the solid waste credit program, click here.

For more information, call 813-272-5680 or email SolidWaste@HillsboroughCounty.org.