MACON, Ga. — A Macon-Bibb County commissioner says the trash is back after county crews cleaned up a south Macon neighborhood just last week.
County crews were just out there last Wednesday.
"We clean up, tear down two houses, cut the grass, pick up the trash," Commissioner Bill Howell said.
However, Howell is now back on Pinson Street in his district, but to a much different scene.
"This is what we got again," Howell said, pointing to a pile of tires, bags of trash and furniture strewn along Pinson and Green streets.
"This was not just sitting in the road," he said, pointing to the trash.
Howell says between last Wednesday and Sunday, people illegally dumped more trash.
"I could see in the bag of trash there was mail, and, yeah, your address is on here," Howell said, holding the mail. "Why you gotta be this way?"
Now, Howell is offering his own money to anyone who can help find who is illegally dumping trash in his district.
"This $100 bill, I will gladly give it as a reward if you help me catch who is dumping this stuff illegally," Howell said.
Mayor Lester Miller says the county as a whole plans to put in place changes to catch those leaving the trash.
"We are in the process now of making sure that when we leave a site that it is clean and that we're able to monitor that through some video surveillance. That's what we're considering all across Macon-Bibb County," Miller said.
But more cameras, the better, and that's why Mayor Miller says the county is considering launching a program, similar to Crimestoppers, sometime this summer, to catch the people dumping the trash.
"Where people are notified, perhaps collect a little money. People have their cell phones, trail cams themselves on properties now. If they think they can make a little money, keep our streets clean, stop the illegal dumping and get people punished for what they're doing, I think they're going to be willing to participate," Miller said.
A big problem at these illegal dumping sites is tires, so the mayor says the county is also considering policies to clamp down specifically on businesses that are illegally dumping tires and taking the fee you pay every time you get your tires changed to get your old tires disposed of properly.
Miller says he believes once the county opens convenience centers for people to dump their trash in, then it will also reduce the amount of illegal dumping. He says the centers should open around August or September.