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Council postpones vote on hiring to support new red‑light camera program after attorney warns of contractual enforcement requirements
Summary
City Attorney Vince Jungless requested additional prosecutors and support staff to handle anticipated citation volume from the new red-light camera program; council voted to postpone any supplemental staffing appropriation until year‑end pre-audit numbers and vendor installation timing are clear, citing budget uncertainty and hiring market constraints.
City Attorney Vince Jungless told the council on Jan. 22 that the city’s new red-light camera program will substantially increase municipal prosecution workload and that the city's contract with the camera vendor contains operational expectations the city must meet to preserve the contractual revenue-sharing structure.
Jungless said Fort Collins’s experience shows a large increase in citation volume when cameras are active and recommended the city staff 2.5 full-time-equivalent prosecutors/support positions (one full-time prosecutor, one full-time support role and a half-time prosecutor) to process and defend camera-generated cases.
"If the city elects not to enforce all legally enforceable violations ... or fails to timely process more than 10% of valid violations forwarded to law enforcement," Jungless warned, "there could be contract implications" that would forfeit the self-sustaining features of the vendor agreement.
Councilors raised concerns about adding midyear personnel given the city’s current budget position, hiring market realities for municipal attorneys, and uncertainty over when installations and ticketing would begin. City finance staff and the city manager told council that approving the additional FTEs would reduce the undesignated general fund balance and could require drawing on reserves if revenues do not materialize as projected.
After extended public comment and council discussion, council voted to postpone the city-attorney’s request until up-to-date 2024 year‑end/pre‑audit numbers and vendor installation timing can be provided. The motion passed by roll call; staff said the item will return for council consideration once the fiscal and installation information is available.
City staff stressed the contract includes termination and performance provisions; Jungless cautioned that a failure to timely prosecute or document enforcement would risk the program’s self-sustaining financial structure.
Council’s decision to postpone preserves time for the city manager and finance staff to confirm year-end balances, vendor timelines and to provide a recruitment plan before any hires would occur.
