Mayor Todd Gloria stood up at the close of a week dominated by City Hall’s latest management crisis and explained how he approaches his responsibilities as mayor.
“This is not a job. This is a lifestyle. There’s not a day that I don’t work,” Gloria said of his role, which includes serving as the city’s COO and president of the United States Conference of Mayors (USCM).
“I feel the pressure of the fact that no matter how good or bad a job I do, I only get to do this job for eight years, and so I’m going to make the most of every single day that’s there.”
He made the remarks Friday in front of the fall leadership gathering for the Conference of Mayors. Gloria was flanked by dozens of other mayors at the Hilton San Diego Bayfront hotel to announce an upcoming “affordability tour” to show how cities are responding to the high cost of living.
The press conference came two days after the city admitted to trash fee errors that led to some residents receiving property tax bills up to $2,700 higher than they expected. Others were undercharged. The mistake affects more than 87,000 customers.
Allies, though, touted his advocacy on the national level. Lincoln, Neb. Mayor Leirion Gaylor Baird defended Gloria’s record of sending both dollars home and contributing to legislative solutions, including the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, passed by Congress in July.
“He’s a formidable advocate,” Baird said, noting Gloria’s leadership in shaping the massive bipartisan housing bill.
“He’s been there in those meetings, sitting at the table and explaining what San Diegans need, as well as what cities across the country need,” Baird said. “Especially in his role as president, it’s impressive and it’s making a difference.”
The city, meanwhile, announced Friday that it sent corrected trash fee information to the San Diego County treasurer/tax collector office.
It is now the county’s role to correct the flawed property tax bills, action which the city said would begin Saturday. With property taxes due on Nov. 1, officials urged residents not to pay the current listed amount until they are sent corrected bills.
Residents received bills associated with the wrong address, according to a FAQ on the city’s website. While half of people were undercharged, others faced costs substantially higher than the trash service they received.
The city’s new figures show that 87,681 customers were affected. Of that total, 44,041 are seeing an overcharge. The largest share of them, almost 14,000 properties, received an overcharge of less than $100. But a sizable number, 639 customers, saw bills with charges between $1,101 and $2,700 higher than the correct total.
For some council members, the error can be explained by Gloria jettisoning the city’s former COO, Eric Dargan. Gloria eliminated his role, the city’s top administrator, in February 2025, electing to take on the duties himself amid a budget deficit.
Dargan made $375,000 per year. Councilmember Kent Lee said this week that the position should be restored. His colleague, Henry Foster II, called on Gloria to resign.
The trash fee mistake has led to conversations – among councilmembers and other critics – about whether Gloria is taking on too much. On Friday, however, he defended his ability to get everything done. Beyond overseeing the city’s basic operations, that includes keeping in touch with council members, city executives and constituents, he said, along with continuing to use roles like his Conference of Mayors presidency to represent the city.
“I will guarantee you, taxpayers in this city are going to get their money’s worth out of me over the next couple of years,” Gloria said Friday. “I make the most of every day, including making sure that San Diego’s voice is heard at a national level.”
The mayors at Friday’s news conference touted their jobs leading cities as uniquely positioning them to inform federal policy because they know what Americans need day to day.
“There’s no other group in the United States that actually get things done like mayors, doesn’t matter if it’s technical solutions to protect our community, getting the trash picked up,” said Mayor Daniel Rickenmann of Columbia, S.C. “Our focus is to outcomes.”
That focus has shifted to affordability outcomes, no matter the mayors’ political bent.
“When it comes to serving the people we represent, doesn’t matter what political party you are, doesn’t matter the differences that you have,” Rickenmann said. “Nobody gives a damn as long as that pothole gets fixed.”
In USCM’s biggest study ever on affordability, 93% of mayors surveyed said that costs had risen in the past year and 96% said their residents were very or extremely concerned about the affordability crisis..
The study prompted October’s tour, in which Gloria plans to meet with residents struggling to afford rent, healthcare, food and other costs, then leaders addressing those issues. It begins in Albuquerque, N.M. with a look at childcare expenses, then continues on to Austin, Texas to see the city’s response to housing costs, followed by Columbus, Ohio regarding healthcare. The tour will conclude in Atlanta with a focus on food and grocery costs.
“Washington should take note because this is what mayors do: we listen, we solve problems, and we deliver,” Gloria said.
