City leaders and politicians have been hearing a lot from San Diego residents recently about how much the City should charge for trash pickup.
In 2022, city voters said they were OK with being charged for trash pickup, agreeing to a ballot measure that suggested San Diegans be charged between $20-$30 a month for trash collection services. But the word from the city has been a fee almost double that. Thus, the pushback from residents.
Yet, just this week, on Tuesday, April 1, Kirby Brady, the city of San Diego’s interim director of the Environmental Services Department, told the press that her department will be recommending a $53 a month fee to the San Diego City Council during an April 14 meeting, at which Environmental Services will request a public hearing for the council’s June docket.
She says the cost of doing business has skyrocketed in the last two years. “Inflation has hit nearly everything we talk about in today’s economy,” Brady said.
NBC7 reports the new fee “would impact approximately 233,000 single-family households. Residents who live in condo and apartment complexes already pay a fee for trash services.”
“[We’re] really just leveling the playing field,” Brady said.
The interim director estimated that it will costs between $90 million and $100 million a year to run the collection services. That includes maintaining about 190 trucks and more than a million waste and recycling bins around San Diego. Brady said the new fees would include free replacement of damaged bins, more pick-up services and bulk- item pickup.
However, the new fees would not account for any upgrades for the trucks. A natural gas truck costs roughly $500,000. The city will eventually be required to purchase electric trash collection trucks, which run more than $1 million each.
Brady acknowledges the electric fleet is on her department’s radar but it’s not factored into the initial fee. It could be part of a fee increase several years from now.
Brady pointed out that most San Diegans currently do not pay for trash services, whereas cities like Sacramento charge $57 a month. Oakland, an oultier, charges $160 a month.
“San Diego is one of the only cities where people do not pay for trash,” she said.
BID IT OUT! The city should not be in this business!
Why? Perceived DOGE “private sector efficiency”? Do any other comparable cities do this? What do they charges look like? What does the service look like?
A quick google shows there are cities in Orange County (Orange, Laguna Niguel) that pay about $20-$25 monthly for residential trash collection but we’d need more information to determine if that was a better alternative.
I’d like to see more informed arguments going around both ways. It seems obvious that single-family residential should pay SOMETHING given that multifamily, commercial, and almost every other city in California does.
It does feel like a bait-and-switch from City of San Diego when it seemed that the fee would be about half of the current proposal when we voted on this in 2022.
In 2022, city voters said they were OK with being charged for trash pickup. Let’s just say some may have been. And even those who did were in theory agreeing to half the rate now sought for. And now the excuse is inflation?
We pay 40$ a month with EDCO.
Problem is that you can’t opt out! Also will be billed on property tax.
A few years ago I would have supported a reasonable fee for trash pickup, But since then the treachery of the so called city leaders and their continuous war on the people who live here have eroded any possible good will. Now they talk about THEIR need for more money because of inflation and then stick us with MORE FEES. Not only will I not support this (and their parking fee increases) but I will follow them into their next elected hopes and fight that as well.
I am annoyed our property tax keeps going up for “schools”. Property tax revenue has soured since housing prices have sky rocketed in the last 5 years. School funding is a big chunk of the tax, so who is managing the budget?? Now this increase for trash pick up that deceived voters that they might have a chance to vote on the proposal. Upsetting all around.
ARGH!!!! Come on San Diego — we deserve better!!
Eliminate the extra services and get the fees in line with what the city estimated. If the funds were coming from the General Fund, it is safe to assume that the city would not be adding on these extra services.
Alternatively, bid it out so we can pay less as other municipalities in San Diego County do. This option is within the City’s charter. Measure B should never have required trash collection to be done by city employees. This was a political ploy to get the employee unions to help pay for and vote for the measure.
I voted for the trash collection fees with the idea they would cost $20-&30 per month. And not for the “special services” that have been added. My guess is these were proposed at town meetings with no reference to costs. I hope all homeowners are aware of the valid protest forms they can submit saying “no” to the current rate. Send the city staff back to the drawing board or to put trash collection out to bid
I am not aware of the valid protest forms. Each city council member?
I live PT in Ventura and pay $65.02 for 2 month’s of service ($32.01 per month). They pick up all three bins each week, which amounts to roughly $2.46 per bin, per week. EJ Harrison is the service providerand they do a good job (with one of the highest recycling rates in the state). I doubt the city could do a better job and wouldn’t want them to try.
Please, someone point us to the “valid protest forms” !!!! Someone, please????
As I understand it, City Council will vote on the fee schedule on April 14. If they approve, all affected homeowners will be mailed a form where they can register a Valid Protest against the fees. We have 45 days to send in the form or drop it off at designated locations. If 50% plus one of all the affected homes register a protest, the rates plan will not go into effect. That means you have to send in the form. No response is essentially an approval. As this process evolves I think it will be covered pretty extensively in local media
Chaz thank you. Here’s what was pubbed in UTrib on April 6 2025:
“Re “Time may have come for voter revolt over city’s trash fee bait-and-switch” (Feb. 14): My fellow citizens — are you mad as hell with what our city leaders are foisting on us homeowners, like big ugly ADUs, “residential” buildings a la the Turquoise Tower and the Point Loma overbuild?
Here’s how we fight back against City Hall in the here and now: When you receive the mandated Proposition 218 notice on the city’s proposed trash collection fees sometime in the next few weeks, register your protest/dissatisfaction by returning whatever chit is provided in that mailing. Protests from 50% plus one of the approximately 233,000 homeowners are needed to “trash” this proposed trash fee for good.
https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/2025/04/06/how-san-diegans-can-fight-city-halls-trash-power-play/
This is our only direct and current vehicle to show our disfavor with what the mayor and his acolytes are pushing since the next regular election is late next year. This can be the trash fee “revolt” the U-T editorial headline recently promulgated. Let’s strike back in record numbers!”
Voters rejected multiple attempts for the increase by TAXING us. Now they want to take the back door and force it down our throws without voter approval by calling it a FEE. Same old sneaky politicians!
I just had another thought about this whole thing and possibly I’m wrong—I’m not that good at advanced math. But I seem to remember them saying at one point that they are NOT allowed to make a profit on city “services.” If that’s the case how do they expect to whittle away at the deficit if it’s costing them as much as they are making? Sounds more punitive to me because we didn’t blindly vote for their tax increase. ???
As I understand it, the city has been taking money from our property taxes to cover trash collection costs. We, the voters, passed a ballot proposition to allow the city to collect the fees directly from the us homeowners. But, our Property taxes will be not be reduced, so the city gets to keep that $$ while collecting the new fees. Hence the “deficit reduction.” And yes, in theory the $47 per month is purely “cost recovery.” ?
You must have overheard my wife’s rant 20 minutes ago, she was angry about the very same thing.