Santa Fe panel adopts tougher penalties for reckless and aggressive driving, splits fines between public safety funds

The Santa Fe Finance Committee voted unanimously to approve Ordinance 2026-TVD (Bill 2026-9), strengthening penalties for reckless and aggressive driving and creating several new traffic offenses. The ordinance increases maximum fines for first convictions from $25 to $250 and for second or subsequent convictions from $300 to $500, adds named offenses including aggressive driving, prolonged tailing, unsafe sudden stops, and throwing items from a vehicle, and requires mandatory court appearances for aggressive-driving citations.

Deputy Chief Ben Valdez and police staff attended the committee to answer questions. Committee members spent the bulk of discussion on how revenue from the revised traffic schedule should be handled. Sponsors originally proposed that fines be split equally between the law enforcement fund and the fire support services fund; some councilors urged routing the receipts to the general fund instead to preserve budget flexibility for non-vehicle public-safety investments such as youth programs, parks or library services.

Counselor Castro outlined a budgeting argument for flexible, undedicated revenue, saying that one-time and evolving public-safety needs could benefit from general-fund access. Supporters of dedicating the fines said the intent was not to create a revenue stream for operations but to provide protected funds for one-time purchases, modernization and training. Counselor Faggali warned against any appearance of "policing for profit," saying she did not want the ordinance to be perceived as incentivizing citations for revenue rather than safety.

After debate, the committee approved Amendment B on a 3-2 roll call (Councelor Casset yes; Councelor Castro yes; Councelor Garcia no; Councelor Bamante yes; Councelor Falner no). The committee then approved the main ordinance on a unanimous roll call. The ordinance amends multiple subsections of the Uniform Traffic Ordinance (UTO), including new subsections defined as 12-6-12.4A (aggressive driving), 12-6-12.25 (prolonged tailing), 12-6-12.26 (unsafe sudden stops), and 12-6-12.27 (throwing items from a vehicle).

The committee recorded that fines and schedule A penalty adjustments (except those dedicated to traffic calming) will be split between the law enforcement fund and the fire support services fund, and that aggressive-driving violations carry a mandatory court appearance. No effective date was discussed at the finance hearing; the ordinance advances to the governing body for final action.

Actions at a glance: Amendment B approved (3-2); ordinance (Bill 2026-9 / Ordinance 2026-TVD) approved by the committee and transmitted onward.

Next steps: The ordinance will proceed to the City Council for final consideration, per the standard legislative process.