Breaking News: EHS Subcommittee Votes In Favor of Reducing Trash Fines

Ken O’Brien

At it’s meeting of Wednesday, June 13, the Education and Human Services Subcommittee voted to request the town council to discuss at its next meeting a reduction of the current trash fines to $25, $50 and $100 for the first, second, third and subsequent offenses. This would be a dramatic reduction from the current level of $250 for a first ticketed offense.

The vote was three to one with the only dissenting vote coming from citizen subcommittee member Holly Christo.

However, there is no guarantee that the item will appear on the Monday agenda. The town charter provides that the agenda is made up by the council chair. 

Damage Control

Ken O'Brien

On Thursday the Southbridge Town Hall house organ (the Southbridge Evening News) will carry an article titled, “Southbridge refunds 118 trash fines”.

In the article it is reported:

If you got ticketed for a first-time trash violation, you might have already received good news in the mail.
According to Health Director James Morin, 118 such residents will get refunds of their fines and/or letters this week informing them they don’t have to pay if they haven’t yet had hearings. That does not apply to 30 or so multiple-ticket recipients, who are still on the hook for the second or later fines.