There could soon be less furniture, mattresses, and other trash found on the side of the road in Stockton.
The Stockton City Council on Tuesday approved an ordinance that imposes fines of up to $3,000 on those responsible for illegal dumping, and establishes a reward system to pay those who report offenders to law enforcement.
The ordinance states that those who are caught illegally dumping will have to pay a fine of $1,000. If they are caught a second time, they must pay $2,000. Then, they will have to forfeit $3,000 every time after that.
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Councilmembers said they believed the fines were appropriate and necessary given the fact that illegal dumping continues to be an issue in the city.
“Looking at the amount of money that we spend on cleanup and pickup, it just makes me sick to my stomach,” District 1 Councilmember Michele Padilla said. “We have business owners that do home renovations in my district. They dump carpet, they dump baseboards, whatever they’re renovating gets dumped off with absolutely no shame. I appreciate the fact that (the ordinance) is harsh because it needs to be.”