Allegany County introduces bill to lift ban on electronic traffic-monitoring devices; public hearing set

The Allegany County Commissioners introduced Code Home Rule Bill 1-26 on February 12, a draft ordinance to repeal section 461.9 of the Allegany County code that currently prohibits electronic monitoring devices used to detect traffic-law violations. Attorney Beeman told the commission the measure is the first step: introduction tonight, a public hearing two weeks from now and a vote two weeks after the hearing. If adopted, the commission would then enact enabling legislation to notify the state; implementation and equipment decisions would be handled by the sheriff.

The bill drew public comment from resident Glenn Stallman, who said Cache Valley Road — home to Cache Valley Road Elementary School — is under-patrolled and lacks visible school-zone signage. "Where in the hell is the signs at?" Stallman asked, saying promised signs had not been installed and that "75% of the speeding tickets that you'll write on Cache Valley Road are Pennsylvania cars." Stallman urged the county to allow cameras and to remove the existing prohibition.

Attorney Beeman outlined the timeline and emphasized that, after the commission’s steps, it would be the sheriff’s office that decides whether and when to implement a camera program. Commissioners approved the motion to introduce the bill and to schedule the public hearing. No dates for equipment purchase or enforcement were specified.

Next steps: the commission will hold a public hearing at its next meeting in two weeks and, if the measure advances, consider a final vote at a subsequent meeting. Implementation timing and technical details will depend on later enabling legislation and sheriff-level decisions.