A City Of San Diego's Environmental Services Department truck empties the recycling bins in a Paradise Valley condominium complex March 3, 2011. For nearly a century, the city of San Diego has provided free trash pick?up for homes on public city streets. Now, facing a giant deficit the city is considering stopping the free service for a few thousand homes that are in the private communities which means several hundred thousand people will still receive the free pick?up. The ones who are being targeted are not happy (Photo by Mark Boster/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
San Diego, California – A wave of discontent is spreading across San Diego as homeowners organize to protest a proposed monthly trash collection fee. The fee, stemming from the 2022 voter-approved Measure B, is set to impact an estimated 233,000 property owners, sparking concerns about affordability and financial strain.
Dozens of residents recently attended a city-hosted community meeting, voicing their opposition and demanding a halt to the proposed charge. Prior to the meeting, protestors took to the streets, making their voices heard. “We’re not happy. Got it?” declared City Heights resident Mary Otero Gonzales, expressing the sentiment shared by many in her neighborhood who feel burdened by rising costs. “Not in this neighborhood. Not in City Heights. I mean, people are barely making it.”
City officials, represented by Jeremy Bauer, assistant director of the Environmental Services Department, argue that the fee would fund enhanced services, including improved pick-up reliability, increased customer service, weekly recycling, and curbside bulky item pickup. “We continue to engage with the public, we are here to listen, we are listening every day,” Bauer stated.
However, opponents are rallying around California’s Proposition 218, a 1996 law that provides a mechanism for residents to challenge new fees. Jon Coupal, president of the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association, explained that property owners will receive a “valid protest form” via mail before the City Council’s final vote. If a simple majority of property owners – roughly 116,500 – return the form protesting the fee, it cannot be implemented.
This provision offers a direct avenue for residents to exert their collective power. Terry Hoskins, a City Heights resident, expressed confidence in the success of the protest, citing widespread frustration with rising costs. “I think it’s going to happen because people are tired of water rates continuing to rise, SDGE is continuing to go up, and now this: people are just tired,” Hoskins stated.
Under Proposition 218, the trash collection fee must be revenue-neutral, meaning the collected funds can only be used for trash collection services. The city is scheduled to present its findings to the City Council on April 14, seeking authorization to send out the official notices and protest forms to property owners.
The final decision on the fee is expected at the June 9 council meeting, with the fee taking effect on July 1 if approved. This process provides a critical window for residents to voice their opposition and potentially prevent the implementation of the new charge, highlighting the importance of civic engagement and the power of collective action in shaping local policy.
