Phoenix to raise residential waste, development, fire fees | The Locally Times
Phoenix plans multiple fee increases across residential waste, development, and fire services, with some changes taking effect as early as January 2026.
The City of Phoenix intends to implement several fee increases impacting residents and businesses, according to public notices from the Phoenix Community and Economic Development department. Proposed changes include higher charges for residential solid waste collection, development plan reviews and inspections, and various fire prevention services. The Phoenix City Council will consider these proposals across multiple meetings in late 2025 and early 2026. ## Development and Fire Service Costs Set to Climb The Planning & Development Department (PDD) and Phoenix Fire Department (PFD) propose increasing hourly rates for plan review and inspection services. The current hourly rate, set at $150 per hour in 2010 for PDD services and 2013 for PFD services, would rise to a maximum of $195 per hour. The City Council will consider these specific increases at a formal meeting on December 17, 2025, with an effective date on or after January 18, 2026, as stated in public notices dated December 1, 2025, and October 17, 2025. The notices indicate these proposed increases are necessary to cover annual operating expenses at current service levels. Beyond hourly rates, the city also plans to adjust Hazardous Material Annual Assessment fees. These fees, last updated in 2003, are proposed to increase to align with inflation, aiming to cover annual operating expenses. Businesses in Phoenix that use or store hazardous materials in permittable quantities currently pay this assessment. The City Council will also consider these hazardous material fee adjustments on December 17, 2025, with an effective date on or after January 18, 2026, according to the same public notices. New fees associated with permit requirements under the proposed 2024 Phoenix Fire Code will also be introduced. The City Council will consider these new permit fees during its December 17, 2025, meeting, with an effective date on or after January 18, 2026. The Phoenix Fire Department's Fire Prevention Section expects these new fees to support its ability to manage appeals and provide consultation, and to enhance community risk reduction efforts. A discrepancy exists within the public notices regarding the PDD and PFD fee increases. One notice, dated December 1, 2025, indicates a 15-day notice period for these changes. Another notice, dated October 17, 2025, references a 60-day notice period for the same fee categories. Both notices, however, specify the same City Council consideration date of December 17, 2025, and an effective date on or after January 18, 2026. ## Residential Solid Waste Fee Under Council Review The Public Works Department intends to increase the residential Solid Waste fee. The City Council is scheduled to consider and approve this proposed increase on or after April 22, 2026. If approved, the new residential solid waste fee would become effective on July 1, 2026. The Public Works Department previously gave notice on October 2, 2025, of its intent to meet with the Solid Waste Rate Advisory Committee. This committee was tasked with reviewing the Public Works Solid Waste fund and evaluating potential solutions to maintain current services, including a potential service fee increase. The committee considered proposed fees on October 20, 2025, at Phoenix City Hall. ## Financial Impact and Unanswered Questions The public notices outline the city's intent to raise various fees, but they do not specify the exact dollar amounts of the proposed residential Solid Waste fee increase. The notices also do not detail the specific current and proposed dollar amounts for the Hazardous Material Annual Assessment fees, beyond stating they would be commensurate with inflation. Furthermore, the documents do not provide a comprehensive breakdown of the new permit requirements or associated fees under the 2024 Phoenix Fire Code. The records do not specify the projected financial impact of these combined fee increases on an average Phoenix household or typical business. The notices also do not provide information on the number of residents and businesses directly affected by these various fee increases, nor their projected collective financial burden. The city's official documents state that the PDD and Fire Prevention fee increases are necessary to cover annual operating expenses at current service levels, but they do not indicate whether the city considered alternatives to fee increases to address these expenses. The public notices also do not include information on public response or feedback received during the notice periods for these proposed changes, leaving a gap in understanding community input. These multiple proposed fee adjustments, scheduled to take effect within a six-month window, represent a broad increase in the cost of city services. Phoenix, a city with a population exceeding 1.6 million and an annual budget of $3.4 billion, faces the ongoing challenge of financing its operations. These fee increases indicate a direct shift of that financial burden onto those who live and work within its boundaries. Without specific figures for the increases or a detailed analysis of their cumulative effect, residents and local enterprises currently lack clear information on the full scope of these impending costs.