What is the maximum penalty that a city council can establish for ordinance offenses involving public health and fire safety violations?

• A. $1,000
• B. $2,000
• C. $5,000
• D. The maximum is set by the legislature

Answer: (B)

Local governments can penalize ordinance violations, but the punishment is capped by state law. For ordinance offenses involving public health and fire safety, the maximum fine allowed is two thousand dollars. This fixed cap provides a clear limit on penalties while still giving cities a meaningful tool to enforce compliance and address hazards. The idea that the maximum is set by the legislature in a more general sense isn’t as helpful here, because the statute specifies two thousand dollars as the upper limit for these particular offenses.