Environmental & Extension Services Department - Solid Waste Division
Frequently Asked Questions about Solid Waste Billing
Information on Charlotte County’s Solid Waste Billing Operations:
Questions #1: Is the entire county included in the assessment program?
Answer: No. The assessment program includes all of unincorporated Charlotte County. The exclusions are the City of Punta Gorda, all lands classified as agricultural and the County's barrier (bridgeless) islands.
Questions #2: Are only residential customers included in the assessment or other customer types as well?
Answer: Assessments for solid waste collection are solely residential.
Commercial customers are billed directly by the franchise hauler.
Each residential dwelling is assessed based on the number of units; a single family home is assessed as one unit, a duplex would be charged two assessments, a condo complex would be assessed based on the number of units. (Each unit in a condo has their own Tax Collector account and each is assessed for sanitation on their tax bill.)
Questions #3: Are the haulers franchised?
Answer: The Charlotte County’s Board of County Commissioners has franchisee agreements with the hauler.
Questions #4: Mandatory collection?
Answer: Yes, every residential unit is assessed for curbside solid waste services.
Commercial businesses have an option; use the franchised hauler or haul their own. Businesses can not hire a private hauler.
Construction & Demolition Debris is accepted and non-franchised haulers are permitted to haul their own
Questions #5: Is the assessment included on the county property tax bill as non ad-valorem special assessment?
Answer: Yes, each County tax notice includes a line identifying their Sanitation District’s assessment fee.
Questions #6: Who is responsible for maintaining the database of the assessed properties?
Answer: This is a joint partnership with many contributing agencies:
GIS/Municipal Service Benefits Unit Department updates and maintains an inventory of the assessed units. GIS/MSBU works closely with BCS ’s building division, the Appraiser’s Office and Tax Collector on updating and maintaining an accurate unit count for the sanitation districts.
Questions #7: How and when is the database updated?
Answer: The Appraiser’s Office updates the GIS/MSBU department on land use changes such as construction of a residential dwelling from as single family vacant lot to a single family home. The system automatically identifies this property to be assessed as a sanitation unit. The department also reviews non-standard land use changes to determine if an assessment is required.
Questions #8: How and when are updates conveyed to the Tax Collector’s Office for inclusion in the tax bills?
Answer: Updates are done monthly by the GIS/MSBU department between February and September. A list is sent to the Tax Collector in September for the Final Tax Roll. Files are sent through shared networks and/or on a disc, depending on agency interaction.
In June, GIS/MSBU mails out notices of public hearings if there is a rate increase. In July, GIS/MSBU sends a file to the Property Appraiser’s Office to include the non-ad valorem assessments on the TRIM notices.
Questions #9: How are partial year charges handled?
Answer: New residential dwellings are processed through their Certificate of Occupancy (CO). BCS Building Division calculates the tax year’s unpaid assessment and the amount due until the next billing period. To obtain a CO, the resident must pay in full the entire assessed amount in advance.
Change in ownership of a dwelling. Payment of unused portion of the sanitation bill is handled during the closing process transfer of ownership through the closing agent.
Additional
information can be obtained from the following governmental agencies:
Growth Management: (941) 743-1238
GIS/MSBU: (941) 743-1383
Property Appraiser’s Office: (941)
743-1470
Solid Waste Division: (941) 764-4380
Tax Collector: (941) 743-1556
