San Diego raises trash, water and parking fees as budget gaps widen and residents push back
Multiple city fees rise within a year as officials shift costs to users
San Diego residents are encountering a cluster of higher city fees tied to core services and public amenities, including curbside trash collection, water and wastewater bills, and parking. The increases largely took effect across 2025 and into January 2026 as city leaders sought new revenue streams and cost recovery while managing major budget pressures.
The fee changes arrive as San Diego transitions several services away from broad General Fund support and toward user-based charges. City leaders have described the approach as necessary after previous cost-cutting and one-time funding options were exhausted, while some residents and businesses have criticized the cumulative effect on household budgets and the local visitor economy.
Trash: new charges for customers previously receiving city collection without a direct bill
For many single-family households, the most visible shift has been a solid-waste charge tied to city-provided collection. The fee is collected through the county property tax roll rather than a monthly utility bill. For Fiscal Year 2026, the city’s published amount is $523.20 per eligible property, billed in two installments.
- First installment due date: Dec. 10, 2025
- Second installment due date: April 10, 2026
The city has also outlined service-related changes linked to the new fee structure, including container repair and replacement at no additional cost and a multi-month rollout of new containers that began in October 2025 and is planned to continue into summer 2026.
Water and wastewater: rate adjustments linked to higher service and supply costs
Water and wastewater bills have also climbed through a sequence of rate changes. Water rates increased overall by 8.7% on Jan. 1, 2025, followed by a 5.5% water pass-through adjustment effective May 1, 2025. On Jan. 1, 2026, water rates increased by 14.7% and wastewater rates increased by 6% under adjustments approved by the City Council in October 2025.
The city has attributed these changes to rising costs to provide service, including higher imported-water purchase costs and ongoing needs for operations and infrastructure investment.
Parking: expansion of paid access and higher meter costs
Parking costs have increased across multiple settings. In January 2025, the city doubled hourly rates for most parking meters to $2.50 per hour. Separately, paid parking in Balboa Park took effect Jan. 5, 2026, with hourly road rates of $2.50 and daily lot fees that vary by location and residency verification status. The park program includes discounted daily rates and pass options for verified City of San Diego residents, while nonresidents pay higher daily amounts.
Paid parking in Balboa Park is enforced daily from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., with specified holidays exempted under the city’s rules.
What happens next
City officials have indicated that additional major fee hikes are not expected in the next fiscal year beginning July 2026, while acknowledging ongoing financial uncertainty, including the outcome of labor negotiations and other cost drivers. For residents, the near-term reality is that several routine activities—putting out trash, using water, and visiting major public destinations—now carry higher, more explicit price tags than they did a year ago.