San Diegans are used to rising costs. Rent is up. Groceries are up. Gas is up. Utilities are up. It feels like every month brings another bill that is harder to pay, another reminder that living in this city is becoming less affordable by the day.
What we are not used to is being misled. That is exactly what happened with the city’s new trash tax.
Voters were told fees would be reasonable. We were told services would improve. We were told this was about fairness and modernization. Instead, residents are now facing higher costs than expected, with serious questions about what we are actually getting in return.
That is a bait and switch.
For more than a century, trash collection was a basic city service. It was part of what residents expected in exchange for the taxes we already pay. Instead of fixing how the city spends money or prioritizing core services, City Hall chose the easier path. Charge residents more and hope no one pushes back.
That may be easy for them. It is not easy for families trying to make ends meet. Across San Diego, people are already stretched thin. Seniors on fixed incomes are watching every dollar and cutting back where they can. Young professionals are questioning whether they can afford to stay and build a future here. Families are juggling rising costs on everything from childcare to insurance. Small businesses are absorbing higher costs everywhere they turn and wondering how much more they can take.
And now, the city is asking for even more. This is about more than trash. It is about trust.
If voters are told one thing and then hit with something far more expensive, why should anyone believe the next promise coming out of City Hall? How many times are residents expected to simply accept higher costs without seeing better results? This really does beg the question: is this just to pay for the cost of trash pickup or are they collecting much more?
At some point, enough is enough.
San Diego does not have a revenue problem. It has a spending problem. Before asking residents to pay more, the city should take a hard look at where our tax dollars are going. That means cutting waste, prioritizing essential services and making sure every dollar is actually delivering value to the public. That is the standard every household lives by. This is the same standard I must apply to my small business to keep our doors open and employees paid. It should be the standard at City Hall too.
The effort to repeal the trash tax is about restoring that balance. It is about telling city leaders that San Diegans are paying attention and will not accept being treated like an endless source of revenue to cover for poor decisions and lack of accountability.
We cannot keep solving every problem with a new tax or fee. That approach is making our city less affordable, driving out residents and putting unnecessary pressure on working families who are already doing everything they can to keep up. We aren’t even being “nickel and dimed” anymore, now we are being “$10’d and $20’d.”
There is a better way. It starts with responsible budgeting, transparency and leadership that respects taxpayers instead of taking them for granted. We need leaders who recognize that they have a relationship with their constituents, not a lordship. It is up to us as active and involved voters to elect and converse with these types of leaders. Now is the time to act.
If you are frustrated with rising costs and tired of being asked to pay more without real reform, sign the petition to repeal the trash tax. Make your voice heard and be part of a growing movement demanding accountability from City Hall.
Let’s put City Hall on notice. New taxes without real reform will not come easy anymore.
People are paying attention. People are speaking out. And people are ready to stand up.
San Diego deserves better.
Matthew Gardner is an entrepreneur of several small businesses in San Diego, including San Diego Bike Rentals in Mission Beach. He is actively involved in the local business community as a Lincoln Club member, board member of his local town council, as well as 10 other community and networking groups, and feels fortunate for being a City of San Diego resident.
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