Voters Saying No To Red Light Cameras, City Council Still Must Vote To Accept Decision

From KOAT-TV.com - ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. -- After years of controversy, voters packed the polls on Tuesday to decide the fate of red light cameras. With about 87 percent of the precincts reporting, the vote to end the red light camera program is winning by 53 to 47 percent. The issue of whether to remove the cameras may have been black and white, but those who cast ballots gave some colorful reasons for their votes. "I voted against that," said Sylvia Domney. "My husband got a ticket that didn't even belong to him. That was like a completely different person, different car, everything." "I talked to someone this morning who had unintentionally ran a red light and somebody almost hit her," said Betty Newman, who said she voted for the cameras. The camera vote comes after a Target 7 report uncovered that the program was hemorrhaging up to $100,000 every month, a report that outraged some taxpayers. The city has since renegotiated its contract with Red Flex, the company that operates the cameras so that the program at least breaks even. "When I signed that bill to put it on the ballot, it was clear on my mind," said Mayor Richard Berry. "If the voters say yes, they're going to stay. If they say no, they won't." Red Flex spent more than $140,000 to urge the public to vote to keep the red light cameras. Read more

Voters Saying No To Red Light Cameras, City Council Still Must Vote To Accept Decision