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Council OKs $6,000 from Red Speed camera revenue for magistrate hearings; program remains suspended amid trust concerns
Summary
Council authorized $6,000 from red‑light/school‑speed camera revenues to cover magistrate hearing fees for contested citations; staff said the camera program is suspended because of technical and contractual issues and that many residents have contested citations.
The City Council voted 4‑0 to allocate $6,000 from revenue generated by the city's school‑zone camera program to pay administrative hearing fees for magistrate hearings tied to contested citations.
Assistant City Manager Morton presented the request as a way to cover magistrate costs while the Police Department and the city attorney continue to address technical and contractual problems with the vendor. Morton told council the program has generated revenue stored in a dedicated account and that the requested funds would fund scheduled hearings through the end of the year.
Former Palm Bay Deputy Chief Lance Fisher and other residents criticized the program in public comment. Fisher said the program began as a revenue source rather than a safety measure, called it a "failed program" and urged the council to disband it. He asserted large numbers of contested citations and questioned whether camera‑generated violations were being handled consistently. Several speakers asked that the city rely more on officer enforcement instead of automated citations.
Police officials said some camera violations are legitimate and that the department had to field hundreds of contest hearings; the chief told council the city did not bear installation costs for the vendor system but does pay magistrate fees for hearings. The police chief also told council the program is not currently operational and staff are working with legal counsel to resolve contract and technical issues before any reactivation.
Council members expressed frustration with the vendor's responsiveness and emphasized that restoring public trust would be necessary before returning the program to operation. The council approved the $6,000 allocation for magistrate hearings while staff pursue legal and technical remedies; several members said they would prefer more visible officer enforcement in school zones if a camera solution cannot be fixed.
