Gaithersburg Celebrates Complaint-Free Streak

Officials in Gaithersburg are crowing today after the city's Community Impact Committee reported zero complaints related to dog waste left on private property during the first seven days of the year. The city credited the outcome to its decision not to adopt a new countywide ban on disposable plastic bags, which are commonly repurposed by dog owners.

“This achievement is a testament to common-sense, forward-thinking rulemaking,” said Mayor Jud Ashman. “You don't have to look far to see that unexpected consequences often outweigh perceived benefits. Dog feces has been the number one Takoma Listserv topic since 2016.” Ashman was alluding to the City of Takoma Park, where plastic bags have been banned for a decade.

By comparison, according to the new Gaithersburg report, poop-in-yard complaints throughout unincorporated portions of Montgomery County rose 38.6 percent during the first week of the bag prohibition, and 42.4 percent in the City of Rockville, which also adopted the rule. “I can't get anywhere near Wootton without stepping in it,” Gaithersburg Councilmember Yamil Hernandez said in disgust.

City data show that Gaithersburg lawns remain largely poop-free, sidewalks are navigable, and residents aren't just pretending to pick up feces like people from Montgomery Village.

Officials emphasized that Gaithersburg did not introduce new poop infrastructure, subsidies, or public education campaigns. “Our philosophy is simple and modeled after our rent stabilization policy,” Ashman said. “If you want less poop left behind, don’t design policies that result in more poop left behind.”