San Diego has sent corrected trash fee data to the county after a billing error overcharged 44,041 property owners, with some facing charges up to $2,700 too high.

About 6,700 households in Council District 1, which includes La Jolla, were among the 87,681 accounts affected citywide, according to the city's FAQ page. The error hit customers at random and was not tied to any specific neighborhood or service level.

The city announced Friday, Sept. 25, that it had transmitted corrected Solid Waste Management Fee data to the San Diego County Treasurer/Tax Collector. The county was expected to begin updating flawed 2026-2027 property tax bills Saturday, Sept. 26, Times of San Diego reported.

What La Jolla homeowners should do: Overcharged residents should wait for a corrected bill before paying. The county will mail corrected statements with an insert from the city explaining the error. County tax bills go out in batches starting Oct. 1, and the first installment is due Nov. 1. Bills do not become delinquent until Dec. 10.

Anyone who already paid the inflated amount will receive an automatic refund once the county's system reflects the corrected figure. No action is needed.

Nearly 14,000 of the overcharged properties saw increases of less than $100. But 639 customers received bills inflated by $1,101 to $2,700. The error occurred when data was changed during the transfer from the city to the county. What the county received did not match the city's own records.

Mayor Todd Gloria called the error unacceptable in a statement Sept. 23 and directed the Environmental Services Department to work with the county to correct every affected bill. Gloria told the New York Post on Sept. 24 that the city's quality assurance process failed. "It did not catch it, and that's why we have to correct it quickly," he said.

Gloria eliminated the city's chief operating officer position in February 2025, taking on those duties himself amid a budget deficit. Former COO Eric Dargan had earned $375,000 per year.

Councilmember Kent Lee said Sept. 23, when the billing error was first disclosed, that the problem ran deeper than one mistake. "If an error of this magnitude can occur without officials noticing, the problem goes deeper than any one employee or one mistake …" Lee said, calling on Gloria to restore the COO role. Councilmember Henry Foster III called on the mayor to resign.

Customers who were undercharged should pay the amount currently shown on their county tax statement and expect a separate notice from the city. Residents can verify their correct trash fee at WastePortal.sandiego.gov or call Environmental Services at 858-694-7000.