Residents and other city utility customers in Florence this month are paying a new public safety fee approved unanimously by city councilors in June.

The $5 monthly fee — set to increase next year —  took effect in July for each unit of housing and also nonresidential developed property, to be charged “whenever feasible” on monthly utility bills, according to city code.

City officials have said they expect the fee to increase to $15 on Jan. 1 and then to $18 on July 1 of next year. Over its first two years, the fee is expected to raise about $1.8 million, according to information presented at the June 2 City Council meeting.

The money will help pay for the city’s police department, jail, municipal court and also the city’s share of 911 services, according to the city of Florence website.

City leaders have said the fee is needed to cover a gap between property tax revenues and the costs of public safety. At the June 2 council meeting, public safety costs were said to be about $8.3 million for the current two-year budget period. The city’s total two-year budget is $77.1 million, including a general fund of about $22 million.

Over the last several years, other Lane County governmental authorities have adopted various measures to help pay for police or jail services, including a payroll tax in Eugene and a voter-approved levy for the county jail.

In June, Lane County commissioners heard a citizen committee’s ideas about how to pay for more rural sheriff’s deputies and to better support the district attorney’s office. Ideas presented included a payroll tax and a special property tax district. County leaders have not yet taken any action on the proposals.

In Florence, the person billed for utilities is generally responsible for paying the fee. If no utilities are in use, the person who can rightfully occupy the property must pay.

The fee “is not a property tax” but “based on the direct and indirect use of or benefit derived from the use of the City’s public safety infrastructure and resources,” the Florence city ordinance states.