YES ON B: IT WOULD FIX A BROKEN SYSTEM

We believe San Diegans deserve responsible governance, local innovation and world-class services. Unfortunately, the outdated so-called “People’s Ordinance” prevents us from reaching each of those goals. Measure B is a once-ina-century opportunity for voters to choose fairness, sustainability and fiscal responsibility in government. Voting “yes” on Measure B allows us to explore ways to improve your service. We encourage all San Diegans to vote “yes” on Measure B.

Three separate San Diego County grand juries all concluded (in 2005, 2008 and 2009) that the refuse collection service prescribed by the People’s Ordinance is outdated, broken and inequitable. The city’s Independent Budget Analyst also conducted a review last year and declared that “this service is one of the only services paid for by the General Fund that confers an exclusive benefit onto only a subset of City residents.” Measure B would change this and level the playing field for all San Diegans by guaranteeing service for all residents and closing loopholes that have allowed vacation rental hosts such as Airbnb and accessorydwelling unit owners to exploit a century-old San Diego law.

In the year 1919, San Diego’s population hovered around 74,000 people, with canneries and commercial fishing making up a significant portion of the economy. Local leaders were debating how San Diego could grow from a small, relatively unknown waterfront town to rival big cities like San Francisco and Los Angeles. There were a few adventurous visitors and the military was just beginning to establish itself in the area. In 1919, about 12,000 voters approved a law that ensured the city’s waste collection and disposal were always free — but only for homeowners. That law was, and is, called the “People’s Ordinance.”

Today, San Diego’s population is approximately 1.4 million people. We are a big city that holds our own not only with San Francisco and Los Angeles, but also with New York, Austin, Seattle and other big cities. We are a leader in biotech, clean energy and academia. We are a beautiful destination for millions of tourists each year. Yet we still tie our own hands with a century-old rule when it comes to modernizing our management of waste and recycling.

San Diego stands alone in maintaining this twotier system. No other city in our region or the state manages waste in the way we do, and we are worse off for it. The city’s general fund is bearing millions of dollars in cost in a way no other city does, leaving less for critical public services like fire, police, parks and libraries. And over the next five years, the cost of maintaining the unfair status quo will be nearly $235 million.

Not only is the People’s Ordinance outdated and costly, it limits the refuse collection services the city can provide to you. We are falling behind other cities in our waste diversion capabilities, including new composting programs. With goals issued by the state and the city’s own Climate Action Plan put in place to protect our health and environment, we must enhance solid waste management services and implement innovative policies and programs. Amending this ordinance via Measure B prepares the city to replace damaged trash and recycle bins at no cost to customers, create “pay-as-youthrow” programs, and improve trash pickup in parks and other public spaces that you enjoy.

Measure B is not a rate increase. State law requires a cost-of-service study and other steps before any action can be further taken by the city to make any changes to how we manage the cost of waste management. City protocol further requires public hearings on the matter. Without a “yes” vote on Measure B, we can’t even take one step forward to study this issue.

A “yes” vote on Measure B is the beginning of an equitable and improved waste management program that serves all San Diegans and prioritizes our Climate Action Plan’s outcomes. To deliver all the services that San Diegans expect and deserve, we must vote “yes” on Measure B on the Nov. 8 ballot.