SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — After more than 100 years since free trash pickup began in San Diego, residents are one step closer to tacking on a trash service fee to their monthly bills.
Some homeowners say the proposed fee of $53 is more than they expected.
“Where does the $53 come from? That's way too much in my eyes,” said Rachel Hayes.
More than 200,000 San Diego homeowners may soon have a new monthly payment: $53 per month for a 90-gallon trash can to be emptied by the city.
And a few dollars less for smaller trash cans.
Some say it's overdue.
“The City of San Diego is the only jurisdiction in California that does not recover the cost of solid waste collection and disposal. This must change,” said Corinne Wilson with the San Diego Municipal Employees Association.
And others aren’t excited about the potential price.
“There's no citizens that came to the city council and said, 'Please tax us,'” said John Royal, a San Diego resident.
While no one may have said that out loud, their votes spoke for them.
Measure B was passed back in 2022, replacing the 106-year-old ordinance preventing the city from charging residents for trash collection and disposal.
Since then, the city has been holding outreach meetings to show people how the funds will be allocated.
ABC 10News was there in November, as some residents’ minds were changed about the measure.
“If I was voting today, I would vote yes,” said Donna Myers, one of the attendees.
But there are still lots of people to get on board before it could go into effect.
“Now, the people that are actually going to be affected by this can stop it. All they have to do is pay attention to the notice that the city sends them and then just use a $0.50 stamp, or whatever it costs now, to send it back,” said Royal.
The Environmental Services Department is set to present its customer service study results in front of the full council towards the end of March.
Homeowners can submit their protests until the final vote in June.
