San Diego, CA

Homeowners suing city of San Diego over trash collection fee

Published

1 year ago

May 21, 2025

Homeowners suing city of San Diego over trash collection fee

Five local homeowners are suing the city of San Diego and six city council members over the city’s proposed trash collection fee, which they allege is unlawful because the fee exceeds the costs of providing trash services.

The lawsuit filed in San Diego Superior Court this week states that with the passage of Measure B — which ended free trash pickup services for single-family homeowners — the city has proposed a nearly $48 monthly fee that should be based on the cost of services, but is instead “based on projections and speculation.”

The residents are asking a judge to block the fee by arguing it violates Proposition 218, a state ballot measure that holds utility fees cannot exceed the costs of providing those services. The city council voted last month to advance the fee proposal to a public hearing, which is scheduled for June 9 and could result in its final approval.

The mayor’s office did not respond to a request for comment and the City Attorney’s Office declined comment on pending litigation, as is customary.

Michael Aguirre, one of the attorneys representing the plaintiffs, said the residents are willing to pay fees if they are closer to what was expected upon Measure B’s passage.

“With this lawsuit, we are attempting to draw a line in the sand,” Aguirre said. “Homeowners are happy to pay their fair share for picking up and collecting solid waste and recycling. But what they’re not going to allow is for the city to impose a tax.”

The complaint states that per a consultant hired by the city, the projected cost of services is nearly $149 million, while solid waste collection costs the year prior were around $89 million. The lawsuit alleges those costs were based on “guess estimates” and the consultant acknowledged in its cost- of-service study that its projections could widely differ from the actual results.

According to the lawsuit, the city was unable to identify all 222,500 city property taxpayers, but Aguirre said those residents should be surveyed in order to determine what level of trash service they want and then calculate an appropriate fee.

“Instead of enrolling the trash collection customers and then allowing the customers to select their level of solid waste collection service, the mayor and most of the city council have arbitrarily decided to impose a tax instead of an actual cost-of-service,” the complaint states.

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San Diego, CA

San Diego’s 6-month streak of a falling jobless rate comes to an end

Published

5 hours ago

July 17, 2026

Press Room

SAN DIEGO — San Diego County saw its six-month streak of a falling unemployment rate come to an end in June, as teachers went on summer recess, but the region still managed to eke out a small net gain in job growth last month. The latest figures from the state Employment Development Department show a jobless rate of 4.4%, up from 3.9% in May, but still lower than the county’s year-ago rate of …

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San Diego, CA

Daily Business Report: July 17, 2026, San Diego Metro Magazine

Published

17 hours ago

July 17, 2026

Press Room

Letter to the Editor: Apartment Vacancy Rates Paint an Incomplete Picture

By David Malcolm | Voice of San Diego

In last Saturday’s “Politics Report,” Will Huntsberry tackled the thorny issue of apartment vacancy rates (apparently the highest in this century) and the impact on affordability. He also correctly wrote that the city of San Diego needs “strategies beyond build, build, build.”

What’s Really Happening

My company owns and operates apartment rental complexes in San Diego County (San Marcos, Encinitas, La Jolla, El Cajon and South Bay) and in Temecula (Riverside County). Here is what we are seeing.

Base rents are stable … but offers of two months’ free rent are common. That is a de facto 16.7 percent reduction on annualized rents. Reducing base rents is not possible in the face of rent control measures and, even more importantly, bank loan covenants. Thus, concessions like two months’ free rent are not hard to find.

New study shows promising step forward in improving Parkinson’s treatment

by Nicole Abrams | Times of San Diego

A small molecule was found to increase the benefits and reduce the side effects of the standard drug for Parkinson’s disease, according to a new study from UC San Diego startup called Sinopia Biosciences.

L-dopa or levodopa is the main treatment for Parkinson’s disease, but its benefits wane over time and can cause involuntary movements called dyskinesia. About 90% of patients with Parkinson’s disease develop dyskinesia in 9 or more years of using L-dopa, and 70% develop motor fluctuations in 9 or more years of using the drug, according to the study.

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San Diego, CA

EXCLUSIVE: Ignition Press Welcomes eBay Live & Revenge Of to San Diego Comic-Con Ignition Pavilion

Published

1 day ago

July 16, 2026

Press Room

The Ignition Press – Ignition Pavilion is leveling up in a big way for San Diego Comic-Con this year.

Following last year’s successful debut, Ignition Press is expanding its offsite with several major new partners, transforming the Ignition Pavilion into a hub for comics, collectibles, livestream shopping, food, and drinks. The free experience at the San Diego Wine & Culinary Center (200 Harbor Dr.) will now feature activations from eBay Live and Revenge Of, alongside the return of Seven Seas Roasting Company and several new fan experiences.

One of the biggest additions this year is a dedicated eBay Live selling lounge, where livestreams will broadcast throughout the convention, bringing Comic-Con to fans around the world.

Stop by throughout the week to find live sketches and signings with comic legends Bill Sienkiewicz (hosted by Big Clutch) and Jim Lee (hosted by ANZ Collects), while Storage Wars star Rene Nezhoda will showcase a rare PSA-pedigreed collection of vintage, Silver Age, and Bronze Age comics.

Fans can also tune in for the debut of an exclusive DC x eBay Live Absolute Batman & Absolute Catwoman connecting cover, shop signed Ignition Press SDCC exclusives, rare comics, and other collectibles, and catch appearances from fan-favorite creators and influencers throughout the weekend.

The Pavilion also welcomes Los Angeles lifestyle brand Revenge Of, making its San Diego Comic-Con debut with a curated comics and pop culture experience, while its sister company, FTB.Design, is handling the Pavilion’s production design.

“Both eBay Live and Revenge Of TV are going to give both fans onsite and at home the opportunity to get in on special programming and chances to get SDCC exclusive merchandise,” said Creative Director Jeremy Haun. “We’re doing something new, big, and different here at the Ignition Pavilion. You’re not going to want to miss it.”

Coffee lovers can once again grab a free drink from Seven Seas Roasting Company between 12pm-4pm, Thursday through Sunday, by signing up for the Ignition Insiders newsletter. The first 200 fans each day can redeem a voucher for coffee, espresso drinks, chai, or tea.

Later each afternoon (Thursday-Saturday, 5pm-7pm), the coffee bar transforms into the Ignition Pavilion Happy Hour, serving themed cocktails, beer, wine, mocktails, and complimentary drink tickets with qualifying purchases. Fans can also preorder a limited-edition bottle of Ignition Proof Rum, created in partnership with Los Angeles distillery The Obscure.

The Ignition Pavilion is free and open to the public at the following times: