Technical Error Overcharges 87,000 San Diego Households on Trash Fee Property Tax Bills

A data transmission error by the City of San Diego caused incorrect trash collection fees to appear on roughly 87,000 property tax statements, with some residents reporting overcharges of more than $1,000, city officials acknowledged this week.

The error affected the Solid Waste Management Fee line item on county property tax statements for fiscal year 2027. City officials said the mistake occurred when data was transferred from the city to the San Diego County Treasurer-Tax Collector's office.

"When this error was identified, I directed immediate action to correct it," Mayor Todd Gloria said in a statement. "This was an unacceptable error, and we are fixing it."

The city said it became aware of the "technical error" on Monday, September 21, and has since transmitted corrected billing information to the county. Impacted customers will be notified directly, and the city said no one will be required to pay more than the correct amount.

"Our responsibility is to be upfront when something goes wrong, act quickly to make it right and keep San Diegans informed along the way," Gloria said.

Councilmember Henry Foster III, who chairs the Budget Committee, called for a full accounting of the error and placed blame on the mayor. "The mayor needs to look in the mirror and if he can't do the job, he needs to step down," Foster said, according to KPBS.

Councilmember Sean Elo-Rivera also demanded a complete accounting from the Mayor's Office.

The city has directed residents to the Residential Waste Collection Services Portal at WastePortal.sandiego.gov, where account-level fee information is accurate. Customers whose portal amount differs from their county tax statement do not need to file a dispute; the city will contact them directly.

"This billing issue only impacts the county property tax line item," the city said in a statement. "Customer accounts in the city's Residential Waste Collection Services Portal are accurate."

County tax bills are scheduled to begin mailing October 1, and the first installment is not due until November 1. Bills become delinquent after December 10, giving the city and county several weeks to issue corrected bills.

Councilmembers Joe LaCava and Sean Elo-Rivera had pushed for placing the trash fee on the county tax roll at the June 24, 2025, City Council meeting — a move supporters said would save the city millions by avoiding the creation of a standalone billing department. Councilmembers Foster and Raul Campillo voted against tax-roll billing at that time.

The fee, which voters authorized through a 2022 ballot measure, applies to single-family homes and multi-family properties with four or fewer units. The City Council approved the fee schedule in June 2025, with the annual charge set at $523.20 for the standard 95-gallon trash bin bundle in fiscal year 2026, with scheduled increases through 2028.

For residents whose mortgage companies manage impound accounts, the billing error created additional complications, since lenders typically divide the annual tax bill into 12 monthly installments. City officials said they are working with the county to ensure corrected bills reach affected customers before payments come due.