Council panel nixes effort to avoid voter sticker shock on ballot measures

San Diego City Council members rejected Wednesday a proposal to make it harder to impose higher-than-expected fees on city residents, contending it would expand bureaucracy and shrink council power.

The proposal was prompted by how much higher the city’s new trash fees ended up being compared with what city officials estimated before voters approved a 2022 ballot measure allowing the fees.

To prevent that from happening again, the proposal would have required any ballot measure that could create a new fee — or raise an existing one — to undergo a comprehensive analysis long before voters weigh in.

The council’s Rules Committee praised the proposal, which was presented by Councilmember Raul Campillo, for its goal of boosting transparency and avoiding resident sticker shock.

But committee members said the proposal could make ballot measures more costly and delay their placement on the ballot.

Councilmember Vivian Moreno said it would also reduce the power of the council, which now has total authority to determine what kind of analysis is appropriate before a measure is placed on the ballot.

“Transparency in government is something I have always strived for. However, today’s discussion — in my opinion — is not about transparency,” Moreno said. “This item on the surface appears reasonable, bu...