Goiânia Mayor warns of potential fourfold increase in waste fee

Goiânia Mayor Sandro Mabel has announced that the city will appeal a decision by the Special Body of the Court of Justice of Goiás (TJGO), which declared the current methodology for calculating the Public Cleaning Fee (Taxa do Lixo) unconstitutional.

The court's decision, reached by a 14 to 5 vote, questioned the parameters used to establish minimum and maximum values and the use of property characteristics for billing. Mayor Mabel warned that if the appeal is not successful, the fee could increase by up to four times for residents.

Mabel argued that the current formula allows for a 75% discount for residents and exemptions for nearly 100,000 families registered in the Cadastro Único. He criticized Councilwoman Aava Santiago, who initiated the legal challenge, stating that the ruling could force the city to collect 100% of the actual service costs rather than the current fraction. The administration intends to negotiate alternative models with the City Council to mitigate the financial impact on citizens.