Litter Control Program

About the Program

Category: Community and Economic Development (Best in Category)

Year: 2010

Beginning in 2006, Prince William County focused on improving litter control services to the community while maintaining existing county funding levels. A combination of decreased state funding for routine roadway maintenance and increased citizen expectations placed a larger burden on county resources to meet demands for service. Existing county government resources were not slated to increase enough to meet these higher service demand levels. In response to limited resources, the county put together an effective network of community partners to address litter control and engage the public in this collaborative program. In a partnership with the Clean Community Council, two of the most successful program additions since 2006 were the Adopt-a-Spot and Adopt-a-School, which encourage county residents to accept responsibility for litter control at locations of particular significance to their communities. Businesses also contribute to the litter control efforts through active participation in the Clean Shopping Center Program. In addition, the Prince William County Adult Detention Center and the Office of Criminal Justice Services both provide labor sources that expand the reach of the program. From FY 2006 through FY 2008, the new work has allowed the county to more than double the size of the program areas covered without requiring any new tax revenue. Between 2005 and 2008, the number of locations where county residents are engaged in litter control rose from 273 to 492, an 80 percent increase. The total number of participants increased by 85 percent, from 1,905 to 3,516.