Dear Neighbor, 

The City Council unanimously adopted San Diego’s Fiscal Year 2027 budget, and with my signature, it will take effect on July 1. 

From the beginning of this process, I’ve been honest about the fiscal challenges facing our city. My administration proposed a balanced budget that made tough but necessary choices to protect the core services San Diegans rely on every day — fixing roads and stormwater infrastructure, addressing deferred maintenance, supporting public safety, collecting trash and delivering clean water. 

While I disagree with several of the City Council’s changes, including decisions that increase spending and move us further away from structural balance, I signed this budget because San Diegans deserve stability and a government that continues to function. 

I’m grateful to the thousands of residents who participated in this process, the philanthropic partners who stepped up, the City staff who worked tirelessly to prepare the budget and the City Council whose partnership is necessary to keep San Diego moving forward. 

The work does not end here. Putting our city on stable financial footing will require fiscal discipline, honest conversations and more difficult decisions in the years ahead. My administration will continue advancing responsible solutions that protect core services, strengthen infrastructure and secure San Diego’s long-term financial health. 

As always, it’s an honor to serve as your Mayor. 

After being elected President of the U.S. Conference of Mayors, I wanted to give San Diegans a closer look at what these meetings are really about — and how this national role can help move our city’s priorities forward. 

At the 94th Annual Meeting in Long Beach, I joined nearly 200 mayors from across the country to exchange ideas, advance policy and focus on the issues cities are facing every day. For San Diego, that means building more homes to bring down housing costs, keeping neighborhoods safe and making life more affordable for working families. 

I spoke with mayors about San Diego’s work to reform permitting, cut red tape and move housing projects forward faster. Governor Gavin Newsom also highlighted our city’s housing efforts as a model for others. 

I also advanced 11 policy resolutions focused on the issues that matter most to San Diegans — including housing affordability, public safety, immigration enforcement accountability, lower energy costs, infrastructure permitting reform, cross-border trade, support for veterans and bringing the 2029 Invictus Games to the United States.  

These meetings are where cities share what’s working, learn from one another and advocate for the tools and resources we need from our state and federal partners. As President of the U.S. Conference of Mayors, I’ll continue making sure San Diego has a strong voice in those conversations — and that our city helps lead the way with practical solutions. 

The City Council has approved a settlement agreement that will reduce future trash collection fees for City-serviced customers beginning July 1, 2027. 

Under the approved changes, monthly fees will be reduced for all residential service levels. For customers with the 95-gallon trash bundle, the monthly fee will drop by about $16 to $38.75 starting July 1, 2027. Rates for the current fiscal year and the next fiscal year, which begins July 1, 2026, are not impacted. 

This action reflects a compromise reached to protect the City from prolonged litigation and the risk of even deeper financial consequences that could have resulted in far more significant cuts to the core services San Diegans rely on every day. 

The settlement package also affects Balboa Park parking. Paid parking in Balboa Park will remain in effect through the end of 2026, ending effective Jan. 1, 2027.  

I continue to believe that asking those who receive City trash collection service to contribute toward the cost of that service is fair and fiscally responsible. Trash collection, recycling, clean public spaces and reliable neighborhood services all cost real money to provide. One of the hardest parts of local government is being honest about that basic fact: residents deserve quality services, and the City needs sustainable funding to provide them. 

But governing also requires balancing principles with practical realities. Faced with the potential total loss of more than $150 million and the prospect of additional cuts to police, fire protection, libraries, parks and neighborhood services, I supported this compromise to help protect the City’s financial stability and avoid a much more damaging outcome. 

There are real tradeoffs. Because the reduced fees will also reduce revenue for the Environmental Services Department, the City will no longer have the resources to move forward with several planned service enhancements, including weekly recycling collection, bulky item pickup and an electric vehicle pilot project. 

The City remains committed to providing reliable, quality trash and recycling collection to every resident we serve. Customers are encouraged to review their service level at WastePortal.sandiego.gov to make sure it aligns with your household needs. More information about the full fee schedule is available at sandiego.gov/trash. 

For residents who need help paying the trash fee, financial assistance is available through the San Diego Municipal Solid Waste Assistance Program. Applications for assistance toward next year’s fee are now being accepted at  MAACproject.org/SDSWAssistance or by calling 619-946-4419. 

Recent fires in San Diego are an important reminder that fire season is now year-round— and being ready is a shared responsibility. 

San Diego Fire-Rescue is prepared to respond, but residents can help protect their families, neighborhoods and first responders by signing up for emergency alerts, preparing a Go Kit, knowing evacuation routes and clearing dry brush and other flammable materials around their homes. 

Learn more and get the full Ready, Set, Go! wildfire preparedness resources here. 

The City is currently delivering new light blue recycling bins to households eligible for City-provided trash and recycling service. The updated bins are more durable, easier to identify, and equipped with scannable tags to improve service reliability and accountability. 

Deliveries will take place on regular collection days and continue citywide over several months, with some households receiving their bins later this year. Crews will also remove older dark blue bins, which will be recycled and repurposed. Residents can expect notifications ahead of their delivery and can look up their estimated timeline online. 

After customers receive their new light blue recycling bins, the City will collect only from those new bins. Until then, the City will continue servicing old containers to avoid disruption in customer service. Collection of recycling materials will remain bi-weekly.

And an update on black trash bins: Starting July 1, 2026, the City will no longer collect trash from black bins. This applies only to black bins at this time. You must have a City-provided gray bin to receive service. Homeowners: confirm at http://sandiego.gov/trash. Renters: contact your landlord/property manager.

Downtown’s Civic Center Plaza is getting a vibrant refresh with Plaza Central — a new series of pop-up events bringing food, music, and art to the heart of the city. The activations are free and open to the public every Tuesday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., offering a lively preview of the area’s long-term revitalization. 

 
Learn more about Plaza Central events.