HOMEOWNERS will soon pay $523 per year in trash fees, no matter how little garbage they toss.
The controversial solid-waste fee kicks in on July 1 and affects single-family homes that have never paid a separate charge for city trash pickup before.
The fee aims to cover waste services and prevent deep budget cuts (stock image)[/caption]
It is happening in San Diego, where city leaders voted Monday to impose the new monthly charge of $43.60 for standard trash, recycling, and organic waste bins.
The fee applies even if residents generate barely any waste, sparking outrage from many, especially older adults and those on fixed incomes.
This fee breaks a 106-year-old precedent that the city of San Diego would not charge single-family homes a fee for trash pickup.
The plan covers three 95-gallon containers, the size most homes currently use, according to the city, NBC local affiliate KNSD reported.
People will be allowed to choose a different plan starting in July.
New bins are expected to be delivered in October.
Residents who downsize from the default plan could get a credit to the account, city staff said.
“With the passage of a new fee, General Fund resources can instead be allocated to projects and services, like public safety, parks and libraries, infrastructure improvements, and road repairs that benefit all city residents,” the City of San Diego stated.
More than 100 people spoke out during the heated City Council meeting, the majority slamming the fee as unfair and misleading.
“I believe the final product is not what the majority of the city voted for,” said Councilman Raul Campillo, who voted against the fee.
One speaker after another ripped into the plan, with some threatening to sue and others demanding a new vote.
Some described the move as a bait-and-switch after voters were promised a fee closer to $23–$29 a month in a 2022 ballot measure.
“We feel like we are victims of a bait-and-switch scheme,” said resident Scott Case.
“So this has become one more instance of the city’s eroding public trust.”
New San Diego Trash Fee
- $43.60 – Monthly fee per household for three 95-gallon bins
- $523 – Annual cost per homeowner
- 226,495 – Number of single-family homes affected
- 46,000 – Number of formal protests filed against the fee
- 113,000 – Number of protests needed to block the fee
- $3 million – Budget for financial assistance programs
- $4.5 million – Consulting fee paid for cost-of-service study
- 32% – Current waste diversion rate from landfills
- 80% – City’s waste diversion target
- 300,000 – Tons of trash collected annually by the city
- 150,000 – Tons of recycling, compostables, and yard waste collected annually
“I have owned my home for 50 years. I don’t see any extra bonus from paying more money for something we have been paying for 100 years,” said a resident.
The measure, called Measure B, narrowly passed after city officials said 285,000 homes would be affected.
But a later count by the Environmental Services Department found the number was closer to 226,495, raising the cost per household.
When the updated cost study dropped in April, estimates jumped to between $36.72 and $47.59 a month, triggering backlash.
To soften the blow, city officials trimmed services like bulky item pickup and delayed an electric vehicle pilot to bring the range down to $31.98–$42.76.
Still, the revised rate drew fury from residents who felt misled and blindsided.
COMMUNITY RESPONDS
“Many folks in my district agreed that they needed to pay a fee,” Councilwoman Marni von Wilpert said.
“But I’ve been told over and over again they wouldn’t have approved the higher fee.”
Opponents also slammed a $4.5 million consulting fee used to complete the cost-of-service study.
Backers of the plan say it’s needed to plug a huge hole in the city’s budget and make the system more equitable.
Council President Joe LaCava warned that skipping the fee would blow an $80 million hole in San Diego’s next budget.
“Do you want to come up with another $80 million in cuts? I know I don’t,” LaCava said.
Councilman Sean Elo-Rivera said the cost has long been unfairly covered by residents who don’t get city trash services.
“This is not a new cost,” he told the crowd. “This is a cost that has been borne by those who do not receive city services.”
City documents show the general fund, paid into by all residents, currently covers refuse pickup only for single-family homes.
Despite protests from 46,000 residents, more than 113,000 would have needed to formally oppose it to block the plan.
The city says about $3 million will be set aside for a financial aid program, with full, half, or partial subsidies depending on income.
Weekly recycling pickup could begin soon as part of a plan to improve waste diversion, which sits at just 32%, far below the city’s 80% goal.
With the Miramar Landfill expected to fill up by 2031, officials said more needs to be done to limit how much ends up there.
The council is expected to meet again on June 24 to discuss adding the fee to the property tax roll.
Residents can begin changing their bin plans starting July 15 through the ESD portal.
