At the time, Ross said he planned to challenge the bylaw in court, saying it is unconstitutional. He did not want to discuss any legal action when speaking with CBC last week.
“I’m much more concerned as a taxpayer than I am as somebody who has to pay the bill once,” he said.
In an email, the city said the unsightly premises bylaw helps “maintain Charlottetown’s picturesque and safe reputation.”
It said the bill is based on the number of people, amount of equipment used, and the length of time it took to cut the lawn.
Ross paid the total amount of the bill — $789.42 — on Friday, but at least it did not cost him his sense of humour.
He joked that if that’s the going rate for mowing lawns, he might consider a new career.
“I was thinking about starting to cut grass for the next summer. … For $800 I’ll cut grass the whole day.”