City approves plan to allocate $24M Waste Pro settlement to residents

Published on June 16, 2026

At a special meeting on June 15, the Port St. Lucie City Council approved a plan to allocate funds from the City’s $24 million settlement with Waste Pro of Florida.

The decision follows a rigorous, detailed analysis by City staff to evaluate options and identify the approach that would provide the greatest benefit for the community.

The City’s priority was to return all settlement funds, including interest, to residents thereby ensuring fairness among eligible property owners. That includes all single-family residential properties, excluding vacant lots.

Under the approved plan:

Of the 95,159 properties that received solid waste collection service, 57,242 have had the same owner since 2022. These households bore the direct impacts of the service failure and will receive the highest credit: $364, which includes the $64 CPI adjustment on this year’s tax bill.
Another 24,676 properties had a title change. Because the City cannot distinguish between changes due to trusts, marriage, divorce, or relocation — and because former owners cannot be reached — these properties will receive a $64 credit reflecting only the CPI share.
The same $64 credit will be provided to the 13,241 new properties, as these households have also paid the CPI‑related increases.
Residents who sold a home and purchased another within the city during the same period may submit documentation showing continuous ownership. A 180‑day claims window would allow these households to receive the remaining $300 credit on the following year’s tax bill. The claims process will be established once vetted by City staff and the City’s legal department.

“Throughout this legal process, the City’s focus was ensuring accountability and taking every possible step to return these funds to our residents,” said Mayor Shannon M. Martin. “We relied on clear data and thoughtful analysis to guide this decision, ensuring our approach is fair, responsible and transparent. This decision allows us to close a difficult chapter with a positive outcome for our residents.”

The City and Waste Pro reached a settlement agreement on April 10 that resolved the legal dispute related to their prior solid waste collection contract. Waste Pro paid a cash settlement of $24 million to the City of Port St. Lucie, fully resolving litigation initially filed in 2021 and expanded in 2022 by the City against Waste Pro, its former contracted waste hauler.

The lawsuit cited issues related to Waste Pro’s performance and subsequent premature cancellation of its multi-year contract with the City, which forced Port St. Lucie to quickly find a new contracted waste hauler.

For questions, call 1PSL at 772-871-1775 for assistance.