By James Call
http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/wfsu/local-wfsu-988028.mp3
Tallahassee, FL – Red-light cameras in Florida are not bringing in as much money as state and city governments had hoped. James Call reports, collections are off by about $600 thousand from what was projected earlier this year.
After some initial enthusiasm for the idea Florida city governments have been slow in installing red-light cameras. They have found there are unanticipated costs such as having police review tapes and testify in court when a motorist challenges a ticket. Other cities are waiting to see how some court cases play out before investing in the cameras. The state's chief economist Amy Baker says local governments have not installed as many cameras as was expected and therefore revenue collections are off.
"We are definitely in a growth cycle it is just not as fast as it would and that affects collections."
Red light cameras became legal in Florida in the summer of 2010. Year to date they have generated more than seven-million dollars in fines for the state but that is about 600 thousand dollars less than state economists were expecting.