Article from: www.thenewspaper.com/news/08/833.asp

12/13/2005

Ohio: Akron Issues Partial Refund to Save Speed Camera Program
Akron, Ohio city council adopts last-minute ordinance offering partial refund and lowered fine in order to save photo radar.

The city council in Akron, Ohio voted 11-2 on Monday to save the speed camera program that had generated hundreds of angry calls from residents. The new ordinance issues a partial refund to any who have already paid a ticket and sets the new fine at $35. The amount may be adjusted upward at a later point.

"Anyone on this council floor who accuses me of doing something underhanded, I'm ready to go to battle right now," Mayor Don Plusquellic said in defense of his actions, as reported in the Akron Beacon Journal.

The four mobile photo radar units were used to ticket people driving 5 MPH over the speed limit, including in school zones before school was let out. Councilman Dan Horrigan asked whether they would be used in school zones when children were on holiday vacation.

"Then it makes it look like we're trying to make money over Christmas," Horrigan said before voting for the measure.

"I wish that we were charging a little more for this first round of tickets so we could begin to buy some new smart machines and some new radar units to use in some of the other neighborhoods," said Mike Freeman who also supported the measure.

Source: Akron tries to salvage program used in school zones (Akron Beacon Journal (OH), 12/13/2005)

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