Nassau County Legislators unveiling the “Fair Fees Accountability Act” at a press conference Monday morning
Luke Feeney
Nassau County Democrats unveiled new proposed legislation that, if passed, would allow Nassau County citizens to get a refund if they had to pay unconstitutional administrative fees on red-light camera tickets.
At the end of November, a New York State appellate division court ruled that the administrative fees charged by Nassau and Suffolk counties on red-light camera tickets are illegal, violating New York State Vehicle and Traffic Law.
Earlier in the month, all red light cameras in Suffolk County were deactivated and taken down as of Dec. 1 after the Suffolk County Legislature chose not to renew the contract for the cameras, which has been in place since 2009.
Lawmakers at the press conference said they don’t have plans to get rid of the red-light camera program like Suffolk County did, but they did say they wanted to protect Nassau County citizens.
The legislation, named “Fair Fees Accountability Act,” contains three components. First is the permanent elimination of all unlawful red-light camera fees. Next, the legislation calls for a fund to repay drivers who were overcharged.
Finally, the legislation seeks to create an oversight committee to prevent future abuses of state traffic law.
The legislation was unveiled at a press conference with legislators as well as Nassau residents who were impacted by fines from tickets in the Minority Hearing Room on Nov. 9.
Two Long Island citizens: Vasu Krishnamurthy, a Manhasset man, and Kelly Johnson, a Valley Stream woman, presented their tickets as well as their opposition to the fines placed on their tickets.
Krishnamurthy was issued his ticket at the intersection of Northern Boulevard and Shelter Rock Road, while Johnson received her ticket at the intersection between West Merrick Road and Central Avenue.
“This is about fairness and accountability. While the courts have done their part, it’s now our duty as legislators to ensure that the county takes immediate steps to repeal these fees and refund the money unlawfully taken from our residents,” Nassau County Legislature Minority Leader Delia DeRiggi-Whitton said during the press conference.
Under state law, counties cannot charge more than $50 per ticket. They are only allowed to charge $50 per ticket and $25 per late fee, while anything above is considered unconstitutional.
The court said that Nassau and Suffolk counties were consistently leveraging late fees on motorists above the constitutional threshold.
“For over a decade, drivers in Nassau County have been charged illegal fees when they run a red light,” Legislator Seth Koslow said during the press conference. “For over a decade, they’ve been charged with illegal fees with the belief that money was being used for traffic safety and traffic improvements.”
The base fee for a red-light camera violation is $50, Koslow explained, but over the years, Nassau County had been charging red-light runners an extra $100 in “driver responsibility” and “public safety” fees, for a total cost of $150 per ticket.
According to the Nassau County government website, the goal of the red-light camera program is to change driver behavior. They argue that studies across the country prove that red-light camera programs are successful at reducing the number of red-light runners and increasing compliance with traffic laws, thus making roadways safer for all drivers and pedestrians.
Christopher Boyle, director of communications for Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman, accused Derriggi-Whitton of being hypocritical on the issue of red light camera fees.
“It is incredibly dishonest that Democratic Minority Leader Delia Derriggi-Whitton, who led the fight to increase red light camera fees, now wants to punish the taxpayers for her mistakes,” Boyle said in a statement to Schneps Media Long Island.
Derriggi-Whitton was asked to react to the statement during the press conference. “Not only did we not lead the fight, we voted against extending the red light program, and he knows that,” she said.
It is unknown if the resolution will be voted on before the final legislative session of the year on Dec. 16.