Dumping garbage in Uptown Leamington is going to cost offenders a lot more.
Leamington town council has agreed to hike the penalty for violating the bylaw from $100 to $500.
It's a healthy increase, but Mayor John Paterson admits some councillors were not satisfied, debating instead in favour of enacting penalties of up to $1,000.
"What happens is when you go to court, they look at that and say that's an unreasonable amount to charge and will just lower it anyway," says Paterson.
Not that Paterson does not feel his colleague's frustration. Garbage dumping is a problem that dates back to at least the early 1990s. That was when the Uptown Leamington Business Improvement Association resumed pickup for its members. Within two years, it asked the municipality to resume the service after admitting it was having difficulty with dumping.
Paterson says the new fines will go into effect as soon as possible.
"As soon as the bylaw can come back to us," he says. "The legal department [says] the application for the increase in the fines has already been approved by the upper level of government."