State lawmakers approved new regulations for red light camera programs Tuesday, sending the proposal to the House floor. And as with any good compromise, it seems almost no one’s happy.
Lawmakers in both chambers of the Florida Legislature are unhappy with how municipalities are using red light cameras. With millions of dollars flowing to Florida cities, some have even gone so far as to call the fines a tax. And while most legislators aren’t going so far as to invoke the ‘T-word,’ both chambers have taken up measures to place greater restrictions on the program. Rep. Bryan Avila (R-Hialeah) is taking the lead in the House, and perhaps the biggest change his measure makes is requiring ticket revenue be devoted to public safety projects. He says the current use of funds doesn’t match the program’s intent.
“76 percent of those funds were going to the general fund of those local governments,” Avila says. “Only 14 percent was actually being spent on public safety.”
“So, if the program,” Avila continues, “if in essence the program was initiated, was implemented, for public safety purposes, then the funds that are retained from the program should go just towards that.”
But the proposal got some pushback. Rep. Joe Geller (D-Aventura) says local governments are already stretched thin.
“To require the local governments to use these for only a specified purpose and not put it into general revenue, when we don’t impose the same requirement on ourselves, as far as the revenues received at the state level, is the kind of thing that causes the public to think that we are passing the buck to localities,” Geller says.
And Florida League of Cities lobbyist Casey Cook says the bill’s provision requiring certified rather than first class mail to deliver notices is unnecessarily punitive.
“There is a significant cost difference between the two,” Cook says. “Additionally, first class mail is recognized by the court system as an acceptable means of communication. They send out driver’s license suspensions, they send out driver’s license renewals, jury summons, and even photo enforced toll violations are sent out via first class mail.”
Cook says his group takes issue with most of the bill’s new requirements. He argues current accident reporting could drag in incidents that have nothing to do with intersections where cameras are installed, and in the past, cities have received the surveys for those reports too late to meet deadlines. But AAA motor club lobbyist, and former state lawmaker, H. Lee Moffitt spoke in support of the bill, arguing cities need to focus on camera alternatives first.
“We think that before those cameras are installed, intersections need to be examined,” Moffitt says, “engineering studies should be done to see if there are other ways to improve the safety of those intersections without putting up a red light camera and allowing the cha-ching, cha-ching, cha-ching of money rolling in.”
But as some lawmakers and lobbyists argue over where to draw the line on the program, others want to drop the program altogether.
Rep. Frank Artiles (R-Miami) says, “The reality is I would love to see this program completely banned and done away with.”
And Rep. Debbie Mayfield (R-Vero Beach) echoes his point saying, “You know, I would welcome an amendment that would just repeal red light cameras across the board.”
Both lawmakers voted in favor of the Avila’s bill. The measure passed committee Tuesday and although almost no one loves it, it’s on its way to the House floor.
