Bradenton residents to pay more for water and sewer, solid waste removal
What Bradenton residents pay for water and sewer, garbage pickup and other utility services is going up. Rates for water and sewer, as well as for reclaimed water, will go up by 2 percent. Stormwater rates will increase 25 cents a month, and the solid waste rate will increase by 60 cents per month. The Bradenton City Council voted unanimously to raise the rates Wednesday. Public Works director Jim McLellan said the increases will cover operating costs, the cost of health insurance for employees, maintaining operations and the ability to continue the ongoing infrastructure improvement program underway for the past several years. But where residents will see the most change for their additional bucks is in solid waste . The city is looking to phase out its side-arm garbage trucks, which are difficult to fit down small roads and McLellan said have been a “maintenance nightmare.” Instead, McLellan said they will start replacing those trucks with rear-loading ones, wh...