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Resident urges Leesburg council to impose stiffer fines to curb littering
Summary
A local resident urged the council during public comment to adopt higher penalties for littering, citing personal observations and a recent news report; council did not take action at the meeting.
At the start of the July 8, 2025, Leesburg Town Council meeting, resident Matt Chawalski used the public‑comment period to ask the council to adopt stronger penalties to deter littering.
Chawalski said he bicycles around town frequently and sees litter “everywhere,” which he described as antisocial behavior. He urged the council to adopt fines that would be sufficiently punitive — citing $1,000 to $5,000 as examples — and compared such fines to approaches used elsewhere. He also referenced a recent WTOP news report and a neighboring county that reportedly spent about $2 million to clean trash, which he said was an ineffective response without penalties to deter littering.
Chawalski called litter a crime and suggested the town make violations painful enough to deter repeat offenders and influence youth through school outreach. The council did not take action on the request during the meeting; the public comment period closed after Chawalski’s remarks.
