SHELBY COUNTY, Tenn. — There is some disturbing news coming out of Shelby County.
Each month the Shelby County Mayor’s Office releases a report on the amount of trash being left on the side of roadways in the unincorporated areas and those bordering Shelby Farms.
In September, WREG reported that for the month of August approximately 26 tons of trash was picked up in these areas.
In July, it was 37 tons.
On Monday, the data for September was released, and the numbers are shocking.
Work crews lugged more than 43 tons of garbage to area landfills after it was illegally dumped on the side of our roads.
What makes the data even more staggering is how much taxpayers have to pay to pick up all of this trash.
This past month alone, the county shelled out more than $1,200 to take all 43 tons of trash to the landfill.
Also, crews spent more than 1138 hours cleaning it up.
The results are not what anyone in the county wanted to see.
“Every dollar used for litter could have been spent on other pressing citizen needs. Still, we’re committed to improving the appearance of Shelby County to retain and attract residents and businesses,” said Shelby County Mayor Mark H. Luttrell, Jr.
Crews currently work Monday through Friday, with additional DUI offenders working Monday and Saturday.
The county has also installed hidden cameras in the unincorporated neighborhoods to help fight the problem.
