In the city of San Diego, there are a handful of laws that are considered sacred cows, meaning local leaders would rather not touch them.
One of them has to do with trash pick-up. San Diegans who live in single-family homes get free trash service and those who don’t must pay up.
Why this rule, called the People’s Ordinance, exists is a question that Voice of San Diego gets constantly. We recently answered it as part of our People’s Reporter feature, where the public can submit questions and vote on the one worth investigating.
On this week’s San Diego Explained, NBC San Diego’s Catherine Garcia spotlights a century-old city law that has complicated local trash policies ever since.
So how is the city compensated for the costs of trash pick up? No free lunch. Someone is paying drivers, buying trucks and paying dump fees