Biloxi garbage fee to rise to $27.40 a month

Biloxi’s monthly garbage fee would rise $1.90, to $27.40, under an ordinance the City Council hears Tuesday. The fee is now $25.50 for each home and each business.

The ordinance is on first reading at the council’s 1:30 p.m. meeting Tuesday, Oct. 27, in the council chambers on the second floor of City Hall, 140 Lameuse St. Right after that meeting, the council holds a workshop on the water and sewer rate increase it set aside last week.

Why the fee is going up

The Harrison County Utility Authority contracts with Waste Management and Pelican Waste to collect Biloxi’s garbage and trash. The city must reimburse the authority for that service, and the monthly fee on city utility bills covers the cost.

The ordinance sets out where the new figure comes from:

• The authority’s charge to the city rises from $25.37 to $27.17 per can or location a month, a contractual adjustment for inflation.
• Since Oct. 1, the authority has billed the city for 15,034 cans or locations.
• Another 23 cents a month covers the city’s administrative costs.

That adds up to the $27.40 in the ordinance. Mayor Andrew “FoFo” Gilich introduced it. Chief Administrative Officer Richard Weaver and City Attorney Peter Abide are listed as the contacts.

What it would cost you

For a household, that is $22.80 more a year, an increase of about 7.5%. The residential fee is charged per dwelling unit, in single-family and multifamily housing alike.

The ordinance takes effect on passage if the council votes for it unanimously. If not, it takes effect once it is signed and certified “as is otherwise provided by law.”

Water rates: tabled, then a workshop

The larger change on Biloxi utility bills is still undecided. The council tabled the water and sewer rate ordinance again Oct. 20, “subject to call,” according to the city’s record of that meeting’s agenda. It had already been tabled Oct. 6.

That ordinance would replace tiered rates with one flat structure. A home using 5,000 gallons a month would pay $41.25 for city water and sewer, up from $24.57. Our full breakdown of the proposed water and sewer rates has the rate table and what it costs at three levels of use.

The workshop agenda lists two subjects:

• the water and sewer rates the city charges
• possible projects to be paid for with the city’s 2026 general obligation bond and Mississippi Infrastructure Modernization Act money

A workshop is a discussion. The agenda does not list a vote on the rates.

Also on Tuesday’s agenda

• $30,500 for the Gulf Coast Center for Nonviolence
• an emergency repair of the Southern Street lift station by Bay Motor Winding, $23,202 from the Water and Sewer Fund
• a sponsorship and facility rental agreement with Christmas On the Water Inc. for the 2026 boat parade, with $5,000 in spending and $2,150 in equipment fees waived
• new capital projects for Graham Avenue drainage and Rodenberg Avenue repairs
• software for the Police Department’s Real Time Crime Center

What it means for you

• Your bill. If the ordinance passes, the garbage line on your city utility bill goes from $25.50 to $27.40.
• Speak at the meeting. The agenda sets aside 45 minutes for citizens’ comments at 1:30 p.m. Tuesday.
• Contact your council member. Numbers for all seven ward council members are in our guide to who to call at City Hall.
• Pickup days and holiday changes are in our Biloxi trash and recycling guide.

The agenda lists the fee change as a first reading. We will report the council’s decision.