Town wants to clean up image

STALLINGS, N.C. -- In some neighborhoods in the Union County town of Stallings, yards are littered with junk and weeds grow knee-deep.

However, cleaning up the mess is not so clear-cut because of what town leaders call confusing ordinances.

They say the language makes it unclear who is responsible for enforcing them.

"We have realized that some of them don't have the teeth that we thought they had,” said Stallings Mayor Lynda Paxton. "It's a horrible sight and very discouraging."

Ruzella Douglas also agrees that it’s time to revamp the town’s ordinances. She said some of her neighbors have neglected their yards and homes in her neighborhood.

"They're just going downhill, because it's renters that have to take care of them,” said Douglas. "They don't care. They just don't care."

Paxton also worries that neglected homes and businesses will hurt the town’s economic future.

"We have an image problem in the town of Stallings, and we've been trying to address that," she said.

Paxton hopes to make some changes in the language by July.

She said she's also trying to push for an environmental court in Union County that would help address some of the concerns.