The Monroe County Commission on Monday postponed approving a $6,500 wastewater fee for 10,000 homes and businesses from Lower Sugarloaf Key north to Big Pine Key.

The one-time fee would have covered part of the cost of connecting to the $194 million Cudjoe Regional Wastewater System. The total cost to connect could reach $20,000 per property.

County wastewater planners and county commissioners agreed there are too many unknowns about how to pay the balance to set a connection fee now.

The Florida Keys are awaiting $200 million in state wastewater funding that was supposed to start trickling in this year, but budget crunches prompted the Legislature not to allocate the money this year. The Keys also are awaiting the Legislature's permission on a referendum that would ask voters to approve a 1-cent sales tax, projected to raise $13 million annually for wastewater projects.

"The bulk of the funding has not been identified," Judy Clark, director of county Engineering Services, told the commission.

The proposed connection fee raised concerns about equity, as the $6,500 for Lower Keys property owners would be between $2,000 and $3,800 more expensive than what some of their neighbors have paid to connect to a state-mandated central wastewater system.

The County Commission two years ago set a $4,500 fee for neighboring Big Coppitt Key property owners and before that, a $2,700 fee for property owners on Conch Key and Baypoint in the Saddlebunch Keys. The lower fees were set when the county had access to more state and federal grant money, officials said.

Still, the $6,500 fee is about what other Florida Keys governments are charging property owners. Marathon is charging about $6,400 and the Key Largo Wastewater Treatment District is charging $5,200.

FIRM money denied

Also on Monday, the commission rejected a proposal to give the grassroots insurance group Fair Insurance Rates in Monroe (FIRM) up to $150,000 in funds to help fight unfair property insurance rate hikes.

The group previously has lobbied successfully against large rate hikes and for more accurate rate models. FIRM's work is estimated to save county property owners $445 million from 2006 to 2009, according to the group.

The County Commission was split on the proposal. Mayor George Neugent and Commissioner Mario Di Gennaro were in favor of giving FIRM the money. Commissioners Kim Wigington and Sylvia Murphy voted to deny it, saying the county budget is too tight.

Commissioner Heather Carruthers was unable to break the tie, as she was on vacation. Even if she were present, her vote may have posed a conflict of interest as she is on the FIRM board.

tohara@keysnews.com