A municipal garbage disposal policy in Chickasaw, Alabama, is regarded by its citizens as punitive, experts say it’s illegal.
Chickasaw, Alabama’s garbage policy allows residents to be arrested or issued a criminal summons if they get behind on their sewer or garbage bills. If convicted under the city’s ordinance, residents of this small suburb just outside of Mobile face a fine between $25 and $500 and a jail sentence not exceeding 10 days.
According to Inside Climate News, in 2021, the city passed an ordinance on outstanding bills. The ordinance charges a $25 fee for each month the original bill goes unpaid and does not allow debtors to make partial payments.
Investigators for the outlet determined that the ordinance, passed by an all-white city council, disproportionately harms the city’s Black population. Although the racial makeup of the city is relatively evenly distributed among white and Black citizens, the policy has had a disastrous effect on women, Black residents, and people with disabilities.