FLORENCE — The City Council voted today to raise residential and commercial garbage rates, though the vote was not unanimous.

The council approved raising residential rates $4 a month, bringing the total to $16, and increased commercial rates 45 percent. Mayor Mickey Haddock said the increases balance costs of revenues for both services, and will begin to eliminate a deficit of $1 million in the Solid Waste Fund.

Councilman Hermon Graham voted against the increases, saying the council should have continued using the sanitary landfill another five years with a commercial rate increase. He said city treasurer Dan Barger told the council a year ago the rate increase would allow the landfill to operate to capacity.

Instead, the council voted in late 2011 to close the landfill and have garbage hauled to a regional landfill by a contractor.

“I felt we were not maximizing our investment,” Graham said.

The changes will be advertised in the newspaper and will be become effective in 30 days.

Robert Palmer can be reached at 256-740-5720 or robert.palmer@TimesDaily.com.