BOMA San Diego
Legislative Update
September 2026
 
CITY OF SAN DIEGO
 
SAN DIEGO BUDGET COMMITTEE RECOMMENDS APPROVAL FOR DOUBLING MINIMUM WAGE ENFORCEMENT ‘USER FEES’
Earlier this month, the San Diego Budget & Government Efficiency Committee voted 4-0 in favor of increased user fees for minimum wage enforcement and education. Currently, the City has a $1.47 annual charge per employee, which is levied to conduct Office of Labor Standards and Enforcement (OLSE) education and enforcement activities. OLSE is under the City Attorney’s office.  In July of this year, the city proposed an increase to $2.47, but the item was returned to staff for further analysis. The item that came before Committee now proposes an increase to $2.82 per employee, a new separate fee for traffic control workers at $38.85 per traffic control permit, and a new compliance system usage fee between $144.35 - $4,853.24 per covered contract.
 
The item will now go before full city council for approval in the coming weeks. A coalition of concerned business interests, including BOMA San Diego, voiced concerns over the lack of justification for the increase, as well as a lack of stakeholder engagement. To view the staff report, please click HERE and scroll down to ITEM-8.
 
CITY OF SD TRASH FEE ERROR LEADS TO POTENTIAL OVERCHARGING OF CUSTOMERS
Following last year’s City Council-approved waste hauling fee for single family homes and some multifamily properties, a “glitch” has led to roughly 87,000-220,000 customers being under, and in many cases, overcharged for that service. The City has since sent the County, which administers the fee through property tax bills, a corrected list.  The situation has further inflamed relations between the Council and the Mayor over administration of the city. 
 
SAN DIEGO CITY COUNCIL APPROVES POLICE AND LIFEGUARD RAISES
The San Diego City Council unanimously approved contracts with the Police Officers Association and Local 986, giving police officers 11.4% in cumulative raises over four years and lifeguards 9.5% over three. While the contractual increases are being deferred by one year, given current budget challenges, the deals are expected to cost roughly $42 million and will further increase the city’s pension obligations. Firefighters are now the only workforce operating under an expired contract. To learn more, please click HERE and scroll down to Items S505 and S506.
 
SAN DIEGO ADVANCES ETHICS COMMISSION REFORM
Two years following approval of Measure D, which allows the city to amend the charter to give the city Ethics Commission greater power, the Rules Committee approved a set of municipal code changes that would allow the commission to pro-actively investigate candidates, campaigns, and issue penalties. Additionally, it would be able to write its own policies and regulations instead of relying on City Council approval, as well as hire its own executive director. The item will now go to full city council for a vote. To learn more, please click HERE and scroll down to Item-2.
 
REGIONAL - AGENCIES
 
SANDAG TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE URGES AIRPORT CONNECTOR
The San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG) Transportation Committee voted to push forward on planning to bring a transit connector to the airport.  During a meeting earlier this month, staff presented 21 options from a people-mover to a trolley, the latter of which is estimated to cost upwards of $3.3 billion. As part of the action, the Committee moved to approve moving forward with both an RFI and RFP concurrently in an effort to increase the speed at which a solution could be finalized. The item was later approved by the full SANDAG Board of Directors. To learn more, please click HERE and scroll down to Item-5.
 
MTS OPERATIONAL ANALYSIS POINTS TO POSSIBLE ELIMINATION OF 33 BUS ROUTES
Facing an annual deficit of $100-$150 million, the Metropolitan Transit System is exploring the elimination of 33 bus routes with service reductions on an additional 29, as well as trolley service cuts. During an informational update to the MTS Board of Directors, MTS staff highlighted the potential cuts. Among them, service to SeaWorld, Cabrillo National Monument, Tierrasanta, and Mission Hills are possible routes that are up for elimination. Potentially 300 operators and mechanics may also be facing termination. To help offset potential cuts, MTS is exploring a sales tax increase in 2028, as well as additional fare increases. The Board of Directors will need to approve the operational changes with public workshops beginning in January. To learn more, please click HERE and scroll down to Item 34.
 
REGIONAL - COUNTY
 
COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS APPROVES NEW WAGE ENFORCEMENT EXPANSION
The County Board of Supervisors approved an item earlier this month brought forward by Supervisor Paloma Aguirre that aims to expand the County’s Office of Labor Standards and Enforcement. The item allows the office to launch pro-active investigations and target certain industries it deems as “high violators.” Additionally, it would direct County Counsel to pursue litigation against certain offenders and relies on community-based organizations to identify potential violators instead of relying on the current complaint-based model. 
 
Among others, “construction” was named among “high violation” industries, as well as restaurants, as the measure aims to target businesses that hire hourly workers.  A coalition of business groups offered concerns about the duplicative nature of this proposal, given state and federal agencies already tasked with wage and labor standards enforcement.  The coalition supports appropriate and reasonable wage and labor standards enforcement, but opposed this particular measure.
 
The Chief Administrative Officer will need to report back within 120 days, although it’s unclear if that would include a public discussion of that report. To view the Board Letter, please click HERE.
 
COUNTY APPOINTS LEMON GROVE MAYOR TO HEAD CONSUMER FAIRNESS AND PUBLIC PROTECTION UNIT
Following the creation of a new Consumer Fairness and Public Protection Unit at the County of San Diego, current Lemon Grove Mayor Alysson Snow has been appointed to head up the new department. The unit’s creation was somewhat controversial given that the District Attorney’s Office already has an Economic Crimes and Consumer Protection Division. While it is unclear exactly how the two departments will work together and whom the new division will target, Snow stated that her priorities include targeting Tijuana River polluters, social media platforms targeting children, and ghost gun manufacturers. To learn more, please click HERE.
 
REGIONAL - CITIES
 
NATIONAL CITY COUNCILMEMBER RODRIGUEZ ANNOUNCES THIRD ATTEMPT AT GROSS RECEIPTS TAX
Following several failed efforts to place a gross receipts tax on the November ballot and a reconsideration to place a measure on the 2028 ballot, proponent Councilmember Jose Rodriguez announced a third attempt that would subvert ongoing business stakeholder engagement and city approval of a potential measure and a special election in 2027 by pursuing a signature gathering effort to place it directly on the ballot. Rodriguez, who is running for Mayor, said that he, along with members of the Working Families Party and city employee unions would file paperwork for a citizens’ initiative and force the issue before voters. Several business groups, led by the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce and local National City businesses, oppose the precedent-setting measure, which would tax total gross revenue, regardless of profit.  Rodriguez’s new proposal creates a higher percentage tax than previous versions, and a higher cap on total amounts collected in an effort to hit what he describes as big business interests. 
 
LA MESA HIRES NEW CITY ATTORNEY
The La Mesa City Council unanimously voted to appoint Tara Mazzanti to the position of City Attorney, following current City Attorney Glenn Sabine’s retirement. Mazzanti has practiced municipal law for over 18 years and served as Senior Assistant City Attorney in the City of Livermore.
 
LEMON GROVE HIRES NEW CITY MANAGER
Following a months-long search, the Lemon Grove City Council voted 4-1 in favor of making Tony Winney the permanent city manager. Winney, who was serving in an interim capacity, previously held management roles with the Cities of Coronado and National City. Winney will serve a three year contract. Mayor Snow, who cast the lone dissenting vote, stated that she wanted more community input before making a decision. To learn more, please click HERE.