San Diego Residents Should Not Have to Audit Their Own Trash Bills

In San Diego, thousands of residents have been burdened with verifying their own trash fee charges due to city billing errors, prompting a city-led correction effort. As of Sept. 24, updated billing data had been submitted to San Diego County, with revised property tax statements forthcoming. Roughly 87,000 customers were over- or undercharged.

While residents like Normal Heights’ Marty Graham and a data-analyst friend who reviewed 100 homes helped spotlight the discrepancies, city officials now say affected households need not act, individuals will be contacted directly. Mayor Todd Gloria attributed the issue to changes made during data submission to the county, noting that quality assurance should have caught the errors.

Shikha Bansal, author of the Times of San Diego opinion, urges the city to meet three standards: ensure corrections fully reach household bills with clear explanations; make communication accessible and progress transparent; and institutionalize safeguards to prevent recurrence. This includes requiring public reviews of what went wrong, verifying charges against service records, and disclosing the public cost of corrections. With Measure B’s 2022 approval funding the trash fee, residents expect accuracy, not added labor, to match the city’s responsibility.