Piti Mayor Jesse Alig recently issued a $1,200 citation, the first mayor to do so since mayors got citation ticket booklets and training from the local court in December.

No other mayor raised a hand or talked about issuing a citation to anyone in their village for littering, illegal dumping, graffiti or for unleashed dogs at the Mayors' Council of Guam meeting Wednesday.

More:Mayors say trash citations 'waste of time', look to other options

More:Mayors seek stricter sanctions on youth crimes, invite US immigration on FAS citizens' stay

Alig said the citation ticket he issued on July 26 to a property owner includes six specific violations:

Pet attacking people, $200 fine

Immediate menace, $200 fine

Vicious pet, $200 fine

Dog running at large, $200 fine

No pet license, $200 fine

No pet license tag, $200 fine

"It's been about three years since we started asking the person to address the concerns about his dog. It's been attacking residents, barking at students since the property is across from a bus stop," Alig said.

On Wednesday morning, Alig said his office received a report a child was attacked by the same dog.

"There seems to be no regard for the law and the safety of people, even after my office has been bringing this up to his attention since 2017," Alig said. "The safety of children and others matter most to me."

Mayors, who are elected every four years, have long been authorized to enforce laws against littering, illegal dumping and other public nuances. They didn't receive citation ticket booklets until December.

What will court do?

Alig said the person who's the subject of the citation is supposed to appear in local court on Aug. 30.

"I am hoping that the court will also do something about it," the Piti mayor said.

The mayor said based on agreement with the local court, it is supposed to check a lockbox at the mayors' council office every week to check whether there is a citation ticket issued by mayors.

Alig said, as of Wednesday, the citation ticket he issued on July 26 hadn't been picked up by the court.

Other mayors expressed concern the courts may not prioritize cases of illegal dumping and dog control-related issues over assaults, robberies, thefts and murders, even after mayors spent hours investigating and pursuing these matters.

The fines, or most of them, also won't go to the village where the citation ticket was issued, the mayors said.

One of the suggestions from some mayors is to fine violators $500 to $1,000, and if the violators refuse to pay, then they won't be able to get a mayor's residency verification, which is a requirement for receiving food stamps or a driver's license that's Real ID compliant.

In other news