San Diego just OK’d a deal to scale back trash fees - and end paid parking in Balboa Park. Here’s what’s in it.
San Diego Union-Tribune • • nation
Key Points:
- San Diego City Council unanimously approved a deal to reduce controversial trash fees for single-family homes to $38.75 per month starting July 2027, and to repeal paid parking in Balboa Park by the end of the year, settling a lawsuit challenging the fees.
- The agreement requires those seeking to repeal the trash fees to abandon a potential November ballot measure, avoiding a financial risk that could have created a $150 million budget shortfall for the city.
- The deal will reduce city revenue by approximately $2.2 million in the upcoming fiscal year and about $14.4 million annually for the next two years, due to lower trash fees and lost parking revenue.
- The settlement maintains the city's use of property tax bills to collect trash fees, saving over $10 million annually, and mandates an independent audit of the trash collection system to ensure fees reflect actual costs.
- Paid parking in Balboa Park, which had led to a significant drop in museum attendance, will be fully repealed, preserving public access to the park; however, paid parking at the zoo remains unaffected.