COMING SOON TO LBTS? …
Dear Readers …As your local elected officials attend the last day of the 3 day FLOC conference in Hollywood today…some will attend a program on red light cameras…. A few months ago this writer posted the Roundtable discussion and consensus by the Commission to go ahead with red light cameras…starting at Commercial Blvd. and A1A … Below are 2 online articles about the cameras…The first is from neighboring Ft. Lauderdale… who began their red light camera program this month …A few days after instituting it they needed to address rolling turns…The second is from the FLOCities site concerning the July 1, 2010 citing the “split” of revenue with each municipality and the state…Cha-Ching!…. This writer is again on the record for not wanting this source of revenue in town…
Sentinel…
Lauderdale giving rolling right-turn drivers at red lights a break
August 12, 2010
Fort Lauderdale has begun using its red-light cameras, but police won’t be issuing “gotcha” tickets to people turning right on red.
Drivers elsewhere in the region have found themselves unwittingly receiving tickets based on the cameras by making a rolling right turn on red. Sgt. Frank Sousa, spokesman for the Fort Lauderdale Police Department, said that won’t be the case in the city.
Sousa said state law requires drivers to come to a complete stop at a red light before making a right turn, but he said the department will not issue a ticket based on a red-light camera if the driver slows to a near stop and appears to be acting carefully.
“We will review violations, and if the driver acted in a careful and prudent manner, then they will not receive a violation,” he said.
The city has begun using cameras to catch red-light runners. Violators will receive courtesy warnings for the remainder of this month. Starting in September, they will be fined $158 for each offense.”
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FLOCities ….
“Notice to All Cities with Red Light Camera Ordinances
Effective July 1, 2010, the “Mark Wandall Traffic Safety Program” authorizes the use of traffic infraction detectors, commonly known as red-light running cameras, on Florida’s roads, streets and highways. Based on photographs taken by these cameras, local traffic-infraction enforcement officers may issue a citation and impose a $158 penalty on the registered owner of the vehicle for failure to stop at a red light.
The penalty is paid to the municipality or county issuing the citation. Section 316.0083(1)(b)3.b., Florida Statutes, authorizes municipalities and counties to retain $75 of each penalty and requires them to electronically remit the remaining $83 to the Florida Department of Revenue (DOR) on a weekly basis for distribution to the following funds:
• $70 – General Revenue Fund
• $10 – Health Administrative Trust Fund
• $3 – Brain and Spinal Cord Injury Trust Fund
DOR has developed a new electronic system for reporting and paying the penalties collected. Before you can file and pay the penalties electronically, you must enroll with DOR’s e-Services program by completing Form DR-600A, Enrollment and Authorization for e-Services Program. This form can also be downloaded at http://dor.myflorida.com/dor/forms/2010/dr600a.pdf starting July 7, 2010.
Even if you are currently filing and paying taxes to DOR electronically, you must enroll using Form DR-600A to report and pay this new penalty. Once you have received your user identification number and password, you can report and pay the new penalties. The new file and pay system “Red Light Camera Remittances” is located at http://dor.myflorida.com/dor/info_localgovt.html. You will be prompted to log into the system. Once you have logged in, you will be able to report the penalties designated for each state fund and pay the total reported to DOR.
Call (850) 487-1150 or e-mail [email protected] for more information.”
http://www.floridaleagueofcities.com/News.aspx?CNID=3232
more to come…
Tags: local government, Local Politics, Red Light Cameras In Town Cha-Ching Split With The State, Scoops, State Politics
