MUKILTEO — A vote that could give residents more say in whether red-light and school-safety cameras are ever installed may leave a mark beyond this city.
The measure would require a two-thirds majority of the City Council and a majority of voters to OK any future proposal to install the cameras, which snap photographs and video of cars and trucks as they run red lights or speed in school zones. It also would limit fines to $20.
Critics argue the standard $124 fine charged to registered vehicle owners makes the cameras more of a money maker for cities than a safety tool.
It’s an issue that has sparked an emotionally charged debate, legal challenges and controversy.
“I don’t think red-light cameras are the right solution,” City Councilwoman Jennifer Gregerson said. “I think there are a lot of flaws with the way they’re implemented. I welcome the initiative as a way to tie the hands of our council and future councils.”
A majority of the council authorized the ballot measure in July after Tim Eyman, a city resident known for his statewide anti-tax initiatives, succeeded in collecting enough petition signatures to qualify it for the ballot.
Mayor Joe Marine says the cameras could be an important tool to improve safety.
“I certainly hope the citizens don’t take away this tool and let us use it responsibly,” he said.
Eyman jumped into the red-light camera fight in May.
That’s when the council agreed to hire Arizona-based American Traffic Solutions to install and operate red-light cameras at the intersection of Harbour Pointe Boulevard and the Mukilteo Speedway and speed-control cameras in front of nearby Olympic View Middle School.
A majority of the council agreed to place the measure on the ballot. Then a group called Mukilteo Citizens for Simple Government sued the city, hoping to prevent it from going to a public vote in the general election. A Snohomish County judge later allowed the measure to go forward. The group is still appealing the issue in the courts.
“The organization’s position is that the initiative is invalid and should not be on the ballot and is pursuing that before the state Supreme Court,” Mukilteo Citizens lawyer Vanessa Power said.
Eyman says he isn’t planning a statewide initiative opposing red-light cameras because he’s satisfied state legislators get the message that the cameras are unwelcome and unpopular. If Mukilteo voters agree with him, it will send a clear message that other cities should pay attention.
“I’ve never been in a position to think that Olympia would really listen and a statewide initiative wouldn’t be necessary,” he said, “But I’m willing to give it a shot if these guys are reading the tea leaves correctly.”
Marine said he doesn’t mind the measure’s vote requirements. He’s more worried about the $20 fee restriction.
American Traffic Solutions is unlikely to have an incentive to lease the equipment to the city if the system isn’t generating enough revenue, he said.
Besides, Marine said, the $20 ticket, the same amount as the least expensive parking infraction, isn’t much of a penalty for speeding in a school zone.
“That, in essence, kills it,” he said.
Councilman Richard Emery opposed the city’s camera proposal, saying he didn’t like the idea of a private company providing a service he says only government should provide.
He voted to place the measure on the ballot, he said, because he wants to allow a public vote on the issue after the county certified Eyman’s petitions.
“If it passes, (Eyman) will have effectively killed red-light cameras in Mukilteo,” he said. “Whether or not they are a good idea becomes moot.”
What voters decide Nov. 2 may have implications beyond Mukilteo.
Several Puget Sound-area cities, including Lynnwood, use the cameras.
State Rep. Christopher Hurst, D-Enumclaw, has proposed legislation that would limit fines to $25 and set a yellow light minimum of four seconds at intersections where the cameras are used.
If Mukilteo’s measure is approved, the message to other cities and legislators will be clear: voters may take matters into their own hands, Eyman said.
“I just really see the ripple effect going beyond Mukilteo’s little borders,” he said.
Puyallup Mayor Kathy Turner, chairwoman of the board representing the Association of Washington Cities, said the organization hasn’t taken a stand on the safety cameras.
“We want to allow (cities) the capability of doing their own governing — and flexibility in that process,” she said. “I think that in Mukilteo’s case and any city’s case, they really depend on their professionals — their traffic engineers and police — to look into what’s best at their intersections.” Oscar Halpert: 425-339-3429; [email protected].
The effects
If city voters approve the Tim Eyman-sponsored ballot measure, Initiative 2, it would:
n Force both a two-thirds council majority and public vote before red light or speed zone cameras could be installed.
n Limit fines to $20, equal to the least expensive parking ticket.
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
