(Photo courtesy City of Phoenix)
By Gloria Rebecca Gomez | AZ Mirror
The price of tickets issued by speed or red-light cameras would be reduced by more than a third under a proposal that has the backing of the Republican legislative majority, who ignored concerns from cities in Maricopa County that say it would take away a critical incentive for Arizona drivers to follow the law.
The Arizona House of Representatives on Wednesday gave preliminary approval to Senate Bill 1624, which would cap the fine for tickets originating from photo radar cameras at $75, far below the current maximum of $250.
Doug Cole, a lobbyist for the League of Arizona Cities and Towns, testified during a March 18 meeting of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee that six cities in Maricopa County have photo radar enforcement systems, and the highest fine is Paradise Valley’s $243. Chandler, Mesa, Paradise Valley, Phoenix and Tempe, all of which use photo radar cameras, are opposed to the legislation.
Republicans have long railed against traffic camera enforcement systems, and have pushed a ban on speed and red light cameras for years with no success. This year’s iteration would ask voters in November to decide whether city officials need to get their permission every 10 years to keep traffic cameras in place. If lawmakers send it to the ballot and voters approve the proposal, they would be given a chance at the next general election to preserve existing photo enforcement systems or scrap them altogether.
