Georgiana became the second city in Butler County to outlaw sagging pants when its City Council passed an ordinance that targets the practice of wearing pants below the waist and revealing either skin or undergarments.

The Council voted to approve the ordinance at its September meeting.

“We have been wanting to do it for two and half years,” Mayor Mike Middleton said. “Now we’ve got ours in place.”

In July the City of Greenville passed an ordinance outlawing what it described as “inappropriate public dress.”

Under Georgiana’s new ordinance, anyone wearing their pants in a manner that exposes any skin or undergarments will receive a $100 fine and be required to perform eight hours of community service. After the first incident, the price and hours of community service increase.

Middleton said he believes the ordinance will benefit the city.

“(Sagging) was a problem,” Middleton said. “You could ride up and down the street and see it all the time. It was time to get (the ordinance) done. … I know it’s going to make it to where you don’t see sagging. It’ll make us look better. Everybody’s wanting it to end, and I feel like that it’ll be good for the community.”

In Greenville the ordinance carries a fine of $25 to $200 and/or 10 to 40 hours of community service. An individual on public property who pants fall three inches or more below his or her hips causing either skin or undergarments to be exposed will be in violation of the ordinance.

When passing the ordinance in Greenville, city officials cited Selma and Demopolis as cities that have similar ordinances in place.