Philadelphia

Philly Made $5M This Year from Trash Fines: Controller

Residents and businesses failing to properly dispose of their trash made the City of Philadelphia more than $5 million this year, according to a report by the city's controller.

Controller Alan Butkovitz said the city collected $5.08 million in trash fines during the 2014 fiscal year -- running from July 2013 to June 2014. That total is up 75 percent over six years ago when, in the 2009 fiscal year, only $2.9 million in fines were collected.

A typical littering fine is $150. The citations can be issued by police, building inspectors and Streets Department employees.

The Streets Department also has a special program called SWEEP, or Streets & Walkways Education and Enforcement Program, that sends staffers out to police littering issues -- primarily in the city's commercial districts, according to its website.

The city averages $425,000 in fines a month, according to the controller. Since 2009, Philly has made $26 million in littering revenue. But, Butkovitz says that's just a fraction of the money owed.

Revenue Department records show nearly $70 million is still owed, according to the controller. However, his office says, some of the fines are very old and officials feel most are uncollectable.

The trash cash that can be collected goes into the city's General Fund, which provides money for various services and projects.

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