Right now, it’s hard to get fined $1,000 in Prince George’s County. It’s the maximum civil fine allowed, and it’s typically saved for those who repeatedly break the rules in the Maryland county. But soon, that price is going to spike.
This week, the Prince George’s County Council made it clear that a bill to raise the maximum fine from $1,000 to $5,000 will easily pass later this fall, after the council approved a preliminary vote on the measure on Tuesday. There wasn’t much discussion about the matter after all of the lobbying of state lawmakers to get the authority to increase those fines.
“The state gave us the authority to raise our fines up to $5,000 and we’re going to do it,” said council chair Jolene Ivey. “It doesn’t mean that fines begin at $5,000, but it does give, for example, DPIE (the Department of Permitting, Inspections, and Enforcement) the opportunity, if a $1,000 fine has not been working, to increase it up to $5,000.”
Over the last two years, DPIE has issued a total of 619 fines worth $1,000. A spokeswoman for the agency said common infractions that garnered those fines included unpermitted parties and the operation of an illegal or unlicensed business.
Ivey also said some quality of life issues could be impacted, such as illegal dumping. The county has even taken to installing hidden cameras in some areas where people consistently unload piles of furniture, construction materials, tires and other trash rather than dispose of them properly.
The maximum fine of $1,000 was instituted in the 1990s and no longer carries the same weight as it once did.
“Sometimes people do not comply, and then you have to get their attention and increase the fine that they’re receiving,” said Ivey. “Then suddenly, they’ll think it’s a good idea to do whatever it is that the government is requiring for the community’s well-being.”
Ivey said most people don’t get fined by the county anyway, so it’s not something that’s going to impact many people. When it passes, it’s expected to provide a boost to county finances, which are already in rough shape.
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