By Staff
If we want a clean county, it's going to take a lot of resources to get the job done.
One of the first steps is a grassroots movement - and local leaders have begun that in earnest, kicking off a litter-free campaign this month and planning an Earth Day cleanup in April.
But to put teeth into the effort, the cleanup campaign needs the backing of local officials.
The Escambia County Commission hopes to do just that, taking advantage of a new limited home rule act that allows counties in Alabama to enact nuisance ordinances as long as they are approved by a majority of residents in unincorporated areas of a county.
If commissioners decide to do it, the measure could be on the ballot by November.
Commissioners have not yet decided what kind of ordinances to propose, but state law allows them to look at measures to curb litter, noise, pollution and other ordinances. In fact, commissioners say they helped push the Legislature to enact the law last year because they wanted to help clean up Escambia County.
County commissioners say they don't want to infringe on the rights of residents, and they believe residents will welcome the opportunity to help clean up the area.
We agree. We must clean up Escambia County if we want to attract new industries, new jobs and new residents to the area.
We're glad to have volunteers to take charge of this cleanup effort, but we're glad they will have the backing of forward-thinking leaders in the county who are willing to do their part to improve our communities..