THE STORY OF PAID PARKING
WHY PARKING FEES SHOULD BE REPEALED...
New paid parking at Balboa Park. New paid parking at the Zoo. Increased parking at meters throughout San Diego. "Surge" pricing to $10/HR in the Gaslamp. Paid parking on Sundays. Attempts for new paid parking at beaches...when will it end?
The City estimates these new parking rates will generate nearly $30M annually in new revenue.
These increases aren't primarily about encouraging transit use or improving parking turnover; if that were the goal, the city would have raised rates years ago.
This is fundamentally about addressing a staggering $250 million budget deficit, driven by years of overspending, excessive staffing, and financial mismanagement, all passed onto workers, visitors, and residents through higher everyday costs.
Paid parking is not meant to be a city profit-center. At most, the public purpose of paid parking is to recover the nominal cost of parking stall maintenance and generate turnover to create better access to desirable public spaces.
But these news fees are bailing out the city's poor spending and management decisions while making access to the best part of San Diego more expensive for everyone.
THE STORY OF TRASH FEES
WHY THE TRASH FEE SHOULD BE REPEALED...
For the first time in over a century, San Diego homeowners are footing the bill for trash collection, and not just any bill, but the highest in the county. Starting at $43.60 per month and set to rise to $55 within two years, these fees represent a stark departure from a long-standing system that once promised equity but delivered inefficiency and overcharges.
This isn't just about paying for a basic service; it's about how misleading promises and missed opportunities have left residents paying more than their fair share.
The roots of this issue trace back to 1919, when San Diego voters approved the People's Ordinance, mandating the city to collect trash from single-family homes and properties with up to four units. The original plan was straightforward: implement a new tax and offset costs by selling collected garbage to local hog farmers for feed. However, the tax was never levied, and by the 1960s, the city ceased sales to hog farms, leaving the general fund, typically reserved for essentials like police, parks, and road repairs, to cover the growing expenses. For decades, this arrangement persisted, with the city budgeting around $80 million annually for these services, largely from general funds.
Fast forward to 2022, when city officials sought voter approval for Measure B, a ballot initiative to amend the municipal code and allow cost recovery through fees for trash, recycling, and related services. The city's independent analysis promised fees between $23 and $29 per month, positioning them among the lowest in the region. Voters narrowly approved it, with 50.48% in favor.
But reality has diverged sharply from those assurances. The city imposed a $43.60 monthly fee, nearly double the upper estimate, generating over $118.5 million annually, a 48% surplus beyond the $80 million actual cost. With a planned 26% hike to $55 per month in two years, revenue could climb to $149.5 million. Critics label this a classic "bait-and-switch," where voters were sold on modest fees but hit with inflated charges that exceed even the measure's $29 cap.
Why should San Diegans care? Everyone should pay their fair share for services like trash collection, but not more than necessary, especially as the city grapples with a projected $200+ million budget deficit.
The real missed opportunity lies in the city's failure to pursue competitive bidding with private haulers like EDCO, Republic Services, or Waste Management, who already deliver efficient, lower-cost services to other parts of the county. Unlike San Diego's exclusive system for single-family homes, most regional cities use non-exclusive or franchised private providers, fostering competition and savings.
Opening trash collection to bids could transform the landscape: generating tens of millions in one-time revenue from selling city equipment, eliminating a $70 million annual expense from the books, and most crucially, slashing monthly bills for residents.
Repealing or reducing the trash fee will force the City to make better governing decisions for San Diego residents.