Leon County Commissioner Brian Welch says it's time for the city of Tallahassee to take responsibility for sewer service charges in the unincorporated part of the county.
In what Welch called a "squirrely situation," the city is looking to raise its annual charge for sewer service in Killearn Lakes Unites 1 and 2 from $179 to $444 – an increase of nearly 150%. It's the first increase since the agreement was created 20 years ago.
"My bigger concern is, why is the county the hitman for the city?" Welch said to his fellow commissioners on Tuesday. "Why are we facilitating the collection of a tax that is determined by the city's utilities, that directly only goes to the city's coffers and benefits only the city?"
Welch's concern over the local agreement was a microcosm of the recent and intensifying disagreements between the sibling governments.
Other moments that have highlighted the tension in recent months have been the firefighter contract negotiations, the renaming of Althea Gibson Way and the investigation into County Commissioner David O'Keefe's alleged trespassing incident.
Sewer service result of two-decade old agreement
During Tuesday's County Commission meeting, the board took up an item during public hearing regarding the long-standing agreement between the city and the county over sewer service in Killearn Lakes.
The roughly 20-year-old agreement, put in place to remedy the problem of failing septic tanks, resulted in the county building a sewer system and handing ownership of it to the city.
According to the County Attorney Chasity O'Steen, since the county has no jurisdiction over the program, serving only as the assessment collector, the city did not need to justify the reason for increase.
"Their rates are their rates," she said.
"The city requires no justification, as we just heard they could charge these people $5,000 if they want to ... you got to deal with it because these people don't live in the city, they can't vote in the city," Welch said.
One speaker shared how her home in Killearn Lakes is a vacation home and how it still has a septic tank. She has been charged the sewer service fee without knowing she could have been connected, leading to her disapproval of the increase.
"The County Commission has no say in this number, how much it is, why it is what it is ... it is entirely by city ordinance," Welch said. "The city 100% has the right to do this. It does not mean it is the right thing to do."
Due to Welch's inability to support the item in "good conscience," other commissioners tried to suggest remedies such as turning over collections responsibility to the city, or the hypothetical that they turn down the rate change.
The commission eventually voted 6-1 to accept the change but asked for a status report on the history of the agreement and the comparison of city rates in other parts of the county. Welch was the one 'no' vote.
Arianna Otero is the City Solutions Reporter for the Tallahassee Democrat. Contact her via email at AOtero@tallahassee.com or on Twitter/X: @ari_v_otero.
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