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Oakland Voters Poised to Pass Measure RR to Raise Fines for Illegal Dumping

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A pile of illegally dumped trash underneath a 'No Dumping' sign in East Oakland. (Oakland North via Flickr)

Oakland voters appear poised to approve a measure to raise fines for municipal code violations like illegal dumping, with early returns Tuesday night showing over 59% support.

Oakland capped the amount anyone could be fined for major city code violations back in 1968 at $1,000. Oakland Councilmember Dan Kalb introduced Measure RR to remove that limit. He said Measure RR was meant to target particularly egregious offenders, like “professional dumpers” who are paid to remove people’s junk, but then end up tossing it around the city.

“The goal of the fine is not to collect more money. It’s to prevent inappropriate or harmful behavior,” he said. “If we’re able to raise the fines for the major transgressions, then the businesses engaging in those transgressions will think twice, and that’s what we want.”

The Alameda County Taxpayers Association opposed the measure, however, saying it gave the city too much power to impose fines for minor violations.

But Kalb said the limit should be raised to at least $5,000. The City Council still needs to work out the details on what the new limits would be and how to implement the measure, a process Kalb said will begin early next year.

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— Holly McDede (@HollyMcDede)

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