San Diego City Councilman Raul Campillo said Wednesday he was "shocked" after the City Council's Rules Committee rejected his proposal aimed at increasing transparency around property-related fees.
The proposal would have required the city to:
- Express in writing that a fee was being proposed
- Allow a clear channel for property-owners to submit a protest against said fee
- Back down should a majority of the affected property-owners protest the fee
"I voted no on the trash fee last year, and I even called it what it was: a bait-and-switch," Campillo said. "My intent was to pass a policy that would make sure a bait-and-switch never happens to San Diegans again, but my four colleagues on the Rules Committee just buried that idea.
"I am frankly shocked that my colleagues didn't support my proposal to require the City Council to transparently inform the public of exactly what the fees are prior to voting on them. San Diegans, who live in one of the most expensive places in the country, deserve leaders that go above and beyond on transparency and accountability. This is common sense. This Council should not hide fees from the public. And today, they ran and hid."
The San Diego City Council last June approved a solid-waste fee, ending a 106-year precedent of the city not charging single-family homeowners for trash pickup.
Starting July 1, homeowners began to be charged $42.76 a month for three 95-gallon cans -- one for trash, one for recycling and one for organics such as yard waste or food scraps -- regardless of how much waste they produce.
(Photo: ABC 10).