San Diego Expedites Emergency Fix for 87,000 Erroneous Property Tax Trash Bills as SANDAG Accelerates Airport Transit

Administrative Data Rectification for 87,000 Homeowners

SAN DIEGO, California — The City of San Diego Environmental Services Department mobilized emergency administrative corrections on September 25, 2026, after an automated database reconciliation error caused more than 87,000 residential homeowners to receive inaccurate municipal trash service fee assessments on their upcoming county property tax statements. In several instances, residents reported unexpected charges ranging from hundreds to over a thousand dollars on non-qualifying parcels.

During an emergency briefing of the City Council's Budget and Government Efficiency Committee, Chair Henry Foster III demanded immediate transparency and accountability from municipal administrators. City department leaders confirmed that revised and audited parcel files are being transmitted directly to the San Diego County Treasurer-Tax Collector's Office, ensuring corrected property tax bills are generated without requiring complex individual appeals or causing taxpayer penalties.

SANDAG Advances $2.8 Billion Airport Transit Connection to 5 Finalists

Across downtown at regional transportation headquarters, the San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG) Transportation Committee achieved a decisive transit milestone by officially voting to advance the long-sought Airport Transit Connection (ATC). Committee members narrowed an initial field of 17 transit concepts down to five finalist engineering designs, moving toward a projected $1.2 billion to $2.8 billion direct mass-transit link connecting San Diego International Airport (SAN) to the regional rail and trolley network.

The five finalist concepts include automated people movers (APM), subterranean light-rail extensions from the Trolley Green and Blue lines, and dedicated elevated transit guideways originating from Santa Fe Depot and the Old Town Transit Center. Engineering feasibility and environmental impact reviews will proceed through early 2027 to finalize the preferred alignment.

Otay Mesa Border Crossing and Local Economic Resilience

The infrastructure progress coincided with updates from Caltrans on the Otay Mesa East (Otay II) Port of Entry, where construction on U.S.-side highway approaches and advanced variable-tolling gantries is pacing toward scheduled operational readiness by late 2028.

Civic leaders commended municipal staff for resolving the billing error swiftly, noting that decisive action on taxpayer protections alongside visionary regional airport transit infrastructure solidifies San Diego's standing as a world-class Pacific gateway.