Overview
- City leaders declined in a closed session Monday to approve a proposed settlement, and the lawsuit moved to trial Tuesday in San Diego Superior Court.
- Homeowners argue the Measure B charge far exceeds what voters were told, pointing to bills around $47.59 a month versus the $23 to $29 estimate on the 2022 ballot.
- The dispute turns on Proposition 218, a California rule that bars governments from setting fees above the actual cost to provide the service.
- A judge last month refused to dismiss the case, citing gaps and inconsistencies in the city’s cost analysis that created factual issues for trial.
- During Tuesday’s opening session, the judge barred testimony from the mayor and two councilmembers, and the city had not yet delivered its opening statement as it warned a repeal could leave a $150 million budget gap with service cuts.