Littering adds up
Controller notes increase in fines collected in years past, but far more go uncollected.
WITH LITTERING fines $150 a pop, the city's SWEEP (Streets & Walkways Education and Enforcement Program) tries to keep things clean, but it's still far from meeting its goal.
In his latest economic report, City Controller Alan Butkovitz said yesterday that the city collected $5.1 million in fiscal year 2014, which ended June 30, in fines of people for improperly disposing of garbage, rubbish, refuse and plain old litter.
It has collected a total of $26 million since 2009, but many more millions go uncollected, he said - almost $70 million since 2009, according to an agency receivables report by the Revenue Department.
"The Office of Administrative Review should seek assistance from the city's revenue and law departments to utilize their collection agencies to pursue the delinquent accounts," he said.
Butkovitz conceded that the city has done a better job lately in collecting the fines.
"We were critical of their low collection rates in 2009 and 2012, but since that time they've improved their collections by 75 percent," he said.
The Mayor's Office declined to comment on the controller's latest findings.