NATCHEZ — Residents whose idea of cleaning their environment is throwing trash out the car window might want to think twice as hard before they litter.

The Adams County Board of Supervisors voted to double the reward for reporting littering from $500 to $1,000 at Monday’s regular board meeting.

“We need to give a message to the public that your neighbors are not going to allow you to throw out trash anymore,” District 2 Supervisor Henry Watts said.

Watts, who made the motion, said information about litter violations must lead to a conviction for a reward to be given.

District 1 Supervisor Mike Lazarus, who seconded the motion, agreed.

“We need to get serious about (litter) and throw (perpetrators’) butts in jail,” he said.

District 5 Supervisor S.E. “Spanky” Felter said inmates or county employees currently pick up trash almost daily, but trash often accumulates faster than it can be collected in some problem areas.

“You could sit on Foster Mound Road and catch 10 or 15 (people littering) in an hour,” Felter said.

Board Attorney Bobby Cox said the area near Fire Tower Road, is an especially bad problem area for littering, as well.

Lazarus suggested residents take a photo of someone littering with a cell phone camera or that they write down the perpetrator’s car tag number.

Felter said the sources of litter can often be identified from envelopes or other items in the trash.

Natchez Alderman James “Ricky” Gray, who attended the supervisors’ meeting, suggested the city and county governments work together and share the expense of making a commercial letting residents know about a crackdown on litter.

Lazarus said Keep Mississippi Beautiful, to which he serve as a board member, might have funds available to help with the expense of a public service commercial.

Cox said citizens reporting littering should file a complaint at the Adams County Sheriff’s Office.