HAUPPAUGE, NY—Suffolk County Presiding Officer Kevin McCaffrey (R-) today announced the passing of a bill that ends the illegal practice of the county charging an additional $30 ‘administration fee’ to red light camera tickets. The bill, introduced by Legislator Rob Trotta (R-) is expected to be signed into law and will take effect in 2023.
“The courts have found this fee to be illegal, and today the Republican Majority passed a bill that stops the county from continuing to take more money from the responsible drivers who pay their red-light fines,” said McCaffrey. “Thank you to Legislator Trotta for introducing this legislation and thank you to my colleagues in the majority who supported this measure. I also want to recognize Legislator Tom Donnelly (D-) who was the sole member of the minority who helped pass the new legislation.”
The bill passed with a 12-6 vote, which protects the bill from being vetoed by the County Executive.
“With Suffolk County having the worst financial outlook out of all 62 counties, it seems that this illegal fee not only bilked thousands of people but did not improve the county’s finances at all,” said Trotta. “It was nothing but a back-door tax on residents, hidden behind claims of improving public safety.”
The Republican Majority pointed to a study by L.K. Associates that was commissioned by the administration that found traffic accidents increased by 60% between 2007-2009 and again from 2015-2017.
“When we took control of this legislature, one of my promises s Presiding Officer was to look at this program with new eyes and find a better way to improve the county’s finances through good government and smarter spending, instead of putting the burden on the taxpayers,” said McCaffrey. “Legislator Trotta’s bill is a huge step in that direction.”