Florida lawmakers passed House Bill 11 on March 26, a measure aimed at addressing long-standing disparities in municipal utility rates. Sponsored by Rep. Fiona Robinson, R-Jacksonville, the bill passed unanimously in the House and is scheduled to take effect on July 1. It has also passed in the Senate.
The bill closes a loophole in current law that allows municipalities to impose a surcharge of up to 25% on water or utility services provided to other cities. In some cases, this has led to residents paying significantly more for utilities — even when the facility serving them is located within their own city.
“This bill corrects an unintended consequence of Florida law regarding municipal utility surcharges,” Robinson said.
The issue stems from unique situations where a utility facility is physically located within one municipality but owned by another. The owner city does not pay taxes, provide police protection or maintain infrastructure in the host city, yet still charges its residents a premium.
“Despite not paying taxes, providing police protection, or maintaining roads in the host city, the owner municipality imposes a 25% surcharge on the residents where the facility is located — while its own residents pay no surcharge, even though they receive the same water,” Robinson explained.
HB 11 seeks to ensure fairness by requiring that all residents, both in the owner municipality and the host city, be charged the same utility rates.
“This creates an unfair burden on the host city’s residents, who not only support the facility’s infrastructure but also pay higher rates than those in the owner municipality,” Robinson said. “This bill ensures fairness by requiring that all residents, both in the facility’s owner municipality and the host city, be charged the same rate.”
Robinson emphasized that the bill is a matter of equity and good governance.
“It is a matter of equity and good governance to prevent unjustified financial burdens on communities that already support these essential utilities,” she said.
For local residents, the bill represents a step toward more equitable pricing. For example, Amanda Godinez, a longtime Jacksonville resident, shared her thoughts on the issue.
“We’ve been paying these higher rates for years, and it just doesn’t make sense,” Godinez said. “Why should I pay more for the same service when the water treatment plant is right in our city? It feels like we’re being penalized just because we’re not the ones who own it.”
Godinez, like many others in her neighborhood, has long felt the unfairness of paying higher rates while still contributing to the infrastructure that supports the facility. For her, the bill could mean real savings.
“I’m hoping this will bring down our monthly bills. It’s hard enough making ends meet without paying more just for being in the wrong part of town,” she said.
With HB 11 set to take effect in July, Robinson hopes the measure will lead to greater fairness for residents in cities like Jacksonville, where the issue has been especially prevalent.
“This bill is about making sure no community is unfairly burdened with higher utility rates simply because of where they live,” Robinson said.