San Diego Overbills 87,000 Residents for Trash Fees

The City of San Diego incorrectly billed approximately 87,000 residents for trash fees on their property tax bills due to a technical glitch in data submitted to the county tax collector. Some residents were overcharged by more than $1,600, while others were undercharged. The error occurred after the city transitioned service fees to the county property tax bill, a move approved by the City Council in June 2025 despite 46,000 protest votes.

Todd Gloria, the Mayor of San Diego, called the errors "unacceptable" and launched an investigation into the failure of quality assurance processes. He vowed to correct the billing by Friday and advised affected residents to delay payments without penalty. While city staff initially told residents to file refund claims through the Department of Environmental Services, the city later reversed this guidance, stating it would identify and contact affected individuals directly.

The incident sparked intense political backlash from the San Diego City Council. Councilmembers Henry Foster III, Sean Elo-Rivera, and Kent Lee condemned the failure as incompetence. They demanded that Gloria fill a chief operating officer vacancy that has existed since early 2025, a role Gloria had absorbed. Councilmember Foster called for Gloria's resignation and threatened to introduce a ballot measure to repeal the city's strong-mayor form of government if leadership changes are not made.