A number of elected officials at the City of San Diego are proposing a new GARBAGE TAX be imposed on homeowners next year. Carl DeMaio, chairman of Reform California and former San Diego Councilmember, says the idea is trash talk and answers questions about the new proposal.
1. What is this new Garbage Tax and who would pay it?
In 1919 the citizens passed a ballot measure known as the People’s Ordinance. In that law the voters allocated a portion of their existing property tax revenues to cover the cost of garbage collection and make garbage collection a service. Now the City of San Diego wants to repeal that, steal the property tax revenues for its bloated budget, and impose a TRASH TAX on homeowners.
2. How much will this cost the average San Diego homeowner?
The total tax baseline would start at least at $72 million – which would be about $300 per homeowner per year. But I expect it will cost much more than that. Once the politicians get a tax rolling, they will add all sorts of extra charges. We’re expecting $500 per homeowner per year in additional tax assessment.
3. City politicians backing this idea say trash pick-up for apartments is based on a fee and it is unfair for homeowners to get the service free. What is your response?
That’s easy – provide the service to apartments as well! These city politicians are already using taxpayer money to pay rent and utilities, so why not trash? You can fix any perceived inequity tomorrow, but the reason why the city politicians won’t do that is because this has never been about inequity, it has been about them getting more of your money to cover their reckless and wasteful spending habits.
4. How can San Diegans stop this proposal?
The politicians have to place this tax on the ballot next year and we’re building a grassroots campaign to stop this tax at the ballot box. The challenge is they will not describe this as a tax on the ballot – they will slap a deceptive title on the ballot measure so we need to make sure we educate voters so they aren’t duped into voting for a new tax on themselves.
Want to know more about this proposal? Listen to Carl talk about the Garbage Tax HERE.
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