San Diego council approves collecting new trash fee on county tax roll amid protests

San Diego City Council voted 7-2 on June 24 to collect the city's newly adopted solid-waste management fee on the San Diego County property tax roll, a move staff said will save the city millions in billing start-up and operating costs and deliver revenue in the next fiscal year.

Supporters, including Environmental Services Director Kirby Brady, argued tax-roll billing is efficient and that the county's system has a high compliance rate (98.8 percent), will handle notices and payments at low cost (about 10 cents per parcel), and avoids a costly new monthly-billing program that staff estimated could require millions in start-up expenses and a larger ongoing budget.

Opponents raised multiple concerns during a lengthy public hearing and in council debate. Dozens of speakers said adding the fee to property taxes risks creating financial hardship for seniors and residents on fixed incomes, complicates mortgage underwriting and escrow processes, and amounted to a "bait-and-switch" from earlier ballot discussions that referenced a lower monthly number. Real-estate and tenant advocates also warned of administrative and equity impacts for landlords and renters.

Councilmembers who opposed the tax-roll mechanism said efficiency alone did not justify potential harms to vulnerable residents. Councilmember Campillo said she would register a no vote because of the risk to low-income property owners; Councilmember Foster cast the other no vote on the final roll-call. Proponents, including Councilmember Elo Rivera and Council President Pro Tem Lee, said staff had sought to keep rates as low as possible and that the county option minimizes the fee charged to ratepayers.

Under the adopted approach, the first-year charge for households using a 95-gallon container was presented as $523.20 per year, payable in two installments via the county tax bill; smaller containers would carry lower annual charges. Staff said customers who pay property taxes through escrow will see the additional cost reflected monthly in their mortgage payments. The city will launch a customer portal July 15 for residents to select container sizes and will begin delivering new containers in October; credits or additional charges tied to container selections will be reconciled in the next fiscal year.

The motion to authorize collection on the tax roll passed 7-2, with Councilmembers Foster and Campillo voting no. Councilmembers Campbell and Council President Lacava were recorded as absent for the vote.

City staff said the city will distribute mailers, update FAQs, hold community meetings and provide talking points for council offices to explain the rollout and available financial-assistance programs. The council directed staff to continue outreach and to report back as the program is implemented.

The fee collection decision is expected to fund the expanded city-managed waste service and container roll-out scheduled for fall 2025.