OAKLAND, Calif. (KRON) -- The City of Oakland just announced a new series of initiatives to combat illegal dumping.  Now, a new report by the city auditor has uncovered it’s not just out-of-area contractors using Oakland as a dumping ground. "A lot of the problem is driven by residents. Resident s just throwing their trash; things that you would see in residents' private trash bags. We saw them all over the streets of Oakland," said Oakland City Auditor Michael Houston. The audit report states, "We found that most illegally dumped waste in the city appears to be residential in origin." Houston says one of the reasons Oaklanders may be dirtying their own city is because of the how much trash pick-up costs. "We found that our hauling rates were among the highest ... even among those jurisdictions that use the same contracted hauler," he said. But the audit also found the city has not done enough to deter people from illegal dumping. "Enforcement has been lacking in the city," Houston said. "The fines are really low, and then, even when fines are administered, we don't have very much success in getting the fines." Oakland Illegal Dumping AuditDownload The report comes with a variety of recommendations, including renegotiating fees and stepping up enforcement. ...read more read less