Longtime San Diego County Treasurer-Tax Collector Dan McAllister, who retired in August, died Wednesday morning, his office announced.
McAllister was 74. His cause of death was not immediately available.
McAllister served as the county’s taxation head for 23 years, from 2002 to 2025. In that role, he oversaw the collection of billions in property taxes each year, managed the $18 billion county investment pool, and administration of the county’s more than $1.5 billion deferred compensation program.
He retired abruptly in August, with 17 months left in his term after holding office for six terms.
“This is a sad day at the Treasurer-Tax Collector’s office, and for San Diego,” said San Diego County Treasurer-Tax Collector Larry Cohen, who was appointed to the role last month after McAllister’s retirement.
“Dan represented the best of public service. He was passionate and tireless about his work and kept the taxpayer at the forefront of everything he did.”
McAllister served as a member of the San Diego County Employees Retirement Association, the board of CalTRUST, was president of the State Association of County Retirement Systems and served on the board of directors of the Peace Corps and Habitat for Humanity, according to a statement from the treasurer’s office. He was a board of directors chair of the San Diego Convention Center Corporation.
He also served as chair of the San Diego Unified School District’s Special Audit and Finance Committee and was a participating member of the boards of the Jackie Robinson YMCA, the New Americans Museum, and the Kim Center for Social Balance.
The head of county operations – who once worked in McAllister’s office – also praised him.
“I join the entire county family in sending condolences to Dan McAllister’s loved ones at this difficult time,” County Chief Administrative Officer Ebony Shelton said. “As the former treasurer-tax collector, Dan was passionate about serving our residents, and the public appreciated his dedication, electing him to serve six times over 23 years.
“I worked in Dan’s office at the beginning of my county career as the budget manager, sparking a lifelong passion for municipal finance. Dan even attended the ceremony when I received my undergraduate degree. Dan was kind, steady, and deeply invested in the San Diego community, and we are all better for it.”
Chris Cate, president and CEO of the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce, said that McAllister’s “decades of public service helped strengthen the financial foundation of our region.”
“Dan led with integrity and discipline, earning the trust of taxpayers and ensuring billions in public dollars were responsibly managed to support a safe and thriving San Diego County,” Cate said, while leaving “a legacy defined by leadership, service and lasting impact.”
Before becoming treasurer-tax collector, McAllister was a financial consultant and investment broker.
Updated 1:50 p.m. Dec. 17, 2025
