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MACOMB, ILL. -- Macomb police officers may not be the only ones with the authority to write tickets anymore.

The Macomb city council could decide to let officials in several other city departments write tickets for ordinance violations.

"Say our Public Works Director went out and saw someone engaging in opening our right of way to put in a sewer or water connection but had not got the proper permits to do that. Instead of calling a police officer to the scene, he can simply take out an administrative ticket book and issue that person a ticket," Macomb Mayor Michael Inman said.

Mayor Inman believes it's a good idea to give employees in several city departments the authority to write tickets. Building inspectors, electrical inspectors, the fire chief, rental inspectors and the public works director all would be able to give you a ticket if they believe you're violating a city ordinance in their field. But it's not the same type of enforcement you might get from a Macomb police officer.

"An administrative ticket is not an arrest," Mayor Inman said. "It's not like these people are going to be given handcuffs and badges and weapons, that's not it. It's just an administrative procedure to get the enforcement action started."

Residents who get one of these tickets will be able to deal with it quickly.

"They could come down to the business office pay the assessed fine over the counter and be done with it," Mayor Inman said. "It would be adjudicated and they can move on and we'd deem the case resolved and it would be a moot issue after that."

The Macomb City Council will have its final vote on the proposed ordinance July 2nd.