Elgin considers community service to pay off dog fines

Elgin leaders are considering allowing people who violate local ordinances particularly the toughened animal control ordinance to work off fines through community service.

“Those fines are pretty significant. People are just walking away from their dogs and not paying the fine,” City Manager Sean Stegall said. “We needed another avenue.”

In June. the city's stronger animal control ordinance went into effect. It mandates $1,000 fines for dogs that bite a person or another dog.

The city council will consider the change at its meeting at 6 p.m. Wednesday at city hall, 150 Dexter Court.

If approved, and a person guilty of violating an ordinance demonstrates an inability to pay, he may ask for the option to pay off the fine through community service at a rate of $10 per hour.

“It can be given in lieu of (a fine),” said Stegall, who noted the city would rather change people's behavior instead of make money off fines. “It gives another option to the adjudicator.”

Councilman John Prigge said he suggested the city make community service an option after he learned the city had only been able to collect about $3,000 of the $10,000 in fines issued since June 1.

“We're collecting a third of what's being fined. The debt has to be paid, whether it's financially or a combination of community service,” he said.

Prigge pushed last spring for a law to declare all pit bulls in Elgin to be declared dangerous, which would have triggered a special set of laws applicable to that type of dog, but the city council backed off and strengthened its overall animal control ordinance.

William Cogley, the city's attorney, said the community service option would not be available to people previously fined for loose or dangerous dogs or other offenses.