County should have authority to regulate garbage, weeds

By: Editorial | Opelika Auburn News
Published: October 23, 2008

Authorities in Lee County should not need permission by the Alabama Legislature for things it could very well handle on its own.

Officials here recognize this and want to do something about it.

Local Question No. 1 on the Nov. 4 ballot reads, “Should the provisions of Act No. 2005-200, 2005 Regular Session, which would allow the Lee County Commission authority to exercise health and safety powers, including the abatement of weeds, the control of animals, the control of litter and the abatement of noise nuisances, unsanitary sewage or pollution apply in the unincorporated portions of Lee County?”

Of course they should.

Lee County should never have to ask the Legislature for the authority to act upon these issues, and one would think the Legislature would gladly see that the county take care of its own business in this regard.

It’s a colossal waste of time for our county leaders to have to meet with officials in Montgomery to seek permission to handle problems with unsanitary sewage, weeds and other pollution.

By the same token, a child should not need the permission of his mother to clean his room.

These are problems in many unincorporated areas of the county.

Animals without homes, or proper registration, roam free.

Sewage is not always disposed of properly.

The overgrowth of weeds in some places are unsightly in dire need of cleaning. Garbage is dumped in places other than garbage dumpsters.

These are all issues that stain the face of our otherwise beautiful home. Taking measures to correct such problems improve county residents’ overall quality of life.

County officials should never have to wait on Montgomery before taking action on complaints.

This question should be a no-brainer for all who fill out their ballots on Nov. 4. It empowers our leaders to take action locally and frees folks in the Legislature to handle more business pertinent to the state as a whole. They need all the help they can get.

Tomorrow: Local Question No. 2, which asks if residents throughout Lee County should pay an equal amount of sales tax.