Using that local landfill is going to cost you more, if the House gets its way. But the state general revenue budget could get fatter by as much as $25 million a year, thanks to a trash dumping fee approved this morning by the House Natural Resource Committee.

Beginning in January, owners of solid waste facilities (in many cases, the owners are municipalities) would be charged a tipping fee of $1.25 per ton of solid waste dumped at the site. Staffers estimate it will bring in $25 million a year from 7.5 million households.

A few committee members expressed reservations but voted yes anyway, on the hopes of tweaking the requirement before it goes for a final floor vote. Reps. Boyd, Bembry and Fetterman voted no.

"This is actually a tax," said Rep. Leonard Bembry, D-Madison. "It poses a real financial burden."

Lobbyists for municipalities and solid waste operators warned that the fee will, indeed, be passed along to residents who dump in the sites.

"Because most of the owners of these landfills are local governments, you're taxing local governments that are required to have these facilities," said Diana Ferguson, representing the Florida Association of Counties.

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