SHELTON — The city continues to adjust ordinance fines upwards to make them commensurate with what state law allows.

In 2007, state law changed to allow municipalities to impose fines on ordinance violations of up to $250.

The latest Shelton ordinance getting revamped deals with the prohibition against alcoholic beverages on city property, which right now carries a fine of $99.

The Board of Aldermen last year revamped 20 ordinances in one fell swoop to bring them in line so that all violations carry a $250 fine.

"What we did was we asked Sandy Nesteriak to go through and identify all the ordinances that are codified that needed upgrading for the fines," Board of Aldermen President John F. Anglace Jr., R-3, said.

That was done, he said, but some of the city's ordinances aren't codified.

"We're finding those as we go along," Anglace said, "but we didn't want to hold up the rest of them. We'll take them as they come."

Some of the fines went from minimal — $25 for "material left in street" or open burning — to the $250 maximum allowed by the state.

Previously, the highest fine allowed by state statutes was $99.

Anglace said officials hope the higher $250 fines will help to serve as a deterrent.

"When you can compound $250 daily, it starts to add up," he said. In addition to higher fines, Anglace said he'd like to see the city purchase cameras to install in areas regularly hit by graffiti and dumping to help identify and apprehend the lawbreakers.