JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Jacksonville’s City Council approved an additional $4 million from its general fund for Meridian Waste on Tuesday night, as Action News Jax Ben Becker learned there are financial, family, and political ties between numerous council members and the waste hauler.
The vote was 17-2, approving a 22% increase over the objections of the mayor’s office which wanted only an 11% increase.
Becker discovered Meridian Florida President Dave Shepler’s sister-in-law is the executive assistant to Council President Randy White, and she is also married to Meridian’s Jacksonville lobbyist Chris Hagen.
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“My executive assistant has been around a long time and does a great job,” White told Becker. “As for Meridian, I don’t want to do anything to jeopardize the quality of their service.”
Becker also discovered eight current council members who voted yes, received $1,000 contributions from Meridian in 2023, including White. Chris Miller got two $1,000 donations. Will Lahnen was the lone exception who voted against Meridian getting the $4 million.
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Jacksonville’s been in the dumps with its trash program running at a massive deficit for years because of low residential collection fees. As a result, the city is forced to borrow money from its general fund. So much so, the debt will rise to nearly $100 million by the fall of 2025. Council member Matt Carlucci, who voted against the Meridian bill is expected to eventually propose legislation to fix the problem.
“We gotta stop the bleeding and that’s what I’m trying to do,” said Carlucci earlier on Tuesday.
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Current Council Finance Chair Ron Salem received a $1,000 contribution from Meridian, backed the rate hike for Meridian, and argues because trash service is a core function of government, the city should be able to fund it with general tax revenues.
“I mean we have basically $2 billion of revenue and there are arguments that can be made, and I have made them, that we ought to be able to pay for garbage out of that $2 billion budget,” Salem said.
Becker reached out to Salem after the vote for a comment on the contribution.
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“I’ve received contributions from businesses and citizens across all of Jacksonville and I am proud of that support. If you work hard for this city, people tend to support you,” Salem told Becker.
The mayor’s office declined to comment on Becker’s findings but didn’t agree with the outcome of the vote.
“We appreciate the job that Meridian Waste is doing. As such, a per household increase was reviewed, within the agreed upon contract, and passed in the budget. The additional increase passed by the City Council tonight is unnecessary, beyond what was allowable in the existing contract, and coming out of operating reserves when important city priorities were previously not funded,” it said in a statement.
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