SDCTA

The city of #SanDiego trash collection fee continues to face implementation problems and a legal challenge. "The final warning notices the city is issuing tell the 850 property owners, who had received city service before an analysis determined they were ineligible, that they must secure a private hauler or face escalating fines." sandiegouniontribune.com/2026/03/24/san… A hearing on a motion by the city to dismiss a lawsuit brought by a former city attorney seeking to reduce the fee is scheduled for March 27. x.com/paulkruegersd/…

On a 4-1 vote, #SanDiego county supervisors have approved a Consumer Fairness and Public Protection unit. "The vote followed lengthy debate, including pushback from District Attorney Summer Stephan, who argued her office was already handling critical consumer protection cases." nbcsandiego.com/news/local/cou…

San Diego politicians aren't just coming for your wallet — they're raiding it from every direction. A new county sales tax. A 5,000% increase on the real estate transfer tax. A payroll tax ripped straight from your paycheck. And that's just the county. The City of San Diego is piling on too — a one-cent sales tax pushed by labor unions, a vacation rental tax, Balboa Park parking fees, 14.7% water rate hikes, new trash fees, and higher rec fees. 9+ new taxes and fee increases. All targeting YOU. How much more can your family afford?

@jim_desmond The city 'vacation home / short term rental tax' will be limited to empty homes.

San Diego County turns to outside auditors to improve contracting, after criminal charges against nonprofit executive sandiegouniontribune.com/2026/03/23/san…

A warning to San Diegans: If someone says the government wants you to buy gold, it’s a scam sandiegouniontribune.com/2026/03/24/a-w…

A #SanDiego county supervisor is promoting a measure to create a consumer protection bureaucracy that replicates work already being done by the District Attorney. In addition to creating a duplicative bureaucracy, the proposal could undermine "fiscal responsibility and good governance: “Before the county is entrusted with another significant fund of public money, it must first demonstrate the administrative rigor to fix the systemic gaps that allowed recent malfeasance to occur. The safest and most effective course is to leave the complex work of investigation and litigation to the specialized prosecutors who have the proven experience to get it right.” The measure will be considered at the March 24 Supervisors meeting. sdcounty.legistar.com/LegislationDet… Despite a budget deficit, the new unit would add up to 30 positions to the county payroll. sandiegouniontribune.com/2026/03/23/let…📷

Despite leaving some positions unfilled, #SanDiego staffing has increased drastically over the past five years. If city services are suffering, it’s because the current leadership has hired too many middle managers and not enough front-line workers. sandiegouniontribune.com/2026/03/24/str…

Recent city of #SanDiego revenue measures (that is, tax and fee increases) have often been poorly designed and as a result have generated ongoing legal disputes or community opposition. The new trash fee is still being litigated. Paid parking at Balboa Park is reducing attendance while not generating as much revenue as expected. The Empty Homes Tax (which will appear on the June ballot if approved by the full council as Measure A) may repeat this pattern. Councilmember Campillo has already opposed the tax after the city failed to produce a ‘robust legal memo’ detailing its ability to survive a court challenge. Now former Councilmember Scott Sherman, “has filed a court petition seeking substantive changes to a proposed ballot measure” “In the legal challenge, Sherman's attorneys argue that everything from the ballot title to the City Attorney's analysis is flawed because there is no clear definition of an "empty home. "The subject homes are not necessarily 'empty'; rather, Measure A defines 'empty' by the number of 'vacant' days, with 'vacant' undefined. This use of 'empty,' with an artificial definition inconsistent with the plain meaning of 'empty,' is both false and misleading" cbs8.com/article/news/l… The City Attorney’s Impartial Analysis is online at: sandiego.gov/sites/default/…

#MTS recently introduced an "online affordability calculator" to help commuters choose the most affordable commute. Maybe they could follow-up with a "taxpayer subsidy calculator" to determine how much each #SanDiego resident pays to subsidize public transit? "Despite this low usage, transportation agencies tend to spend an inordinate amount of funds on transit. For example, of the San Diego Association of Governments’ $125 billion regional transportation plan for the next 25 years, a whopping 58% — more than $72 billion — would be devoted to public transit." nbcsandiego.com/news/local/mts… sandiegouniontribune.com/2026/03/20/opi…

On the March 24 #SanDiego County Supervisor meeting agenda is a measure to provide transparency and accountability at ad hoc subcommittees. "Among the actions to be required by ad hoc subcommittees should be the timely postings of meeting agendas prior to meetings, Countywide notification to citizens of scheduled meetings and the on-line posting of meeting materials and records." Regardless of the specifics of the Brown Act, #SanDIego government meetings should be transparent, agendized, and open to the public. “(David) Loy of the First Amendment Coalition raised concerns that the committees could be creeping beyond their initial missions and argued that the issues they’re designed to tackle aren’t necessarily novel or new. For example, governments often deal with dips in revenue and should consistently try to ensure their contracts are as effective as possible” sdcounty.legistar.com/LegislationDet… voiceofsandiego.org/2026/03/20/ins…

A former #SanDiego city manager comments on the current state of municipal government: "Now, it’s just a train wreck. Almost every project they touch is late. They’re spending $90 million for a two acre park downtown and nobody even blinks. What are we doing?”" The referenced project is presumably the East Village Green Park, currently budgeted at $84 million and scheduled to be completed later this year. Like many city projects, its costs have increased over time. In 2016, the estimated budget was $16 million. sandiego.gov/sites/default/… voiceofsandiego.org/2026/03/21/pol…

We commend the @sdcwa for its market-based solution to the conundrum of producing more water than San Diegans actually need, a situation that would have been unfathomable not many years ago when the region was under constant threat of drought. We urge the Water Authority board to commit the proceeds of this water sale to providing real relief for #SanDiego ratepayers struggling under the burden of our ever-rising cost of living. sandiegouniontribune.com/2026/03/19/che…