May 2009
Texas Cities Defy House Attempt to Ban Red Light Cameras
Cities of Arlington and Southlake, move to skirt pending Texas ban on red light cameras.
At least two Texas cities are openly defying the will of the state House of Representatives which earlier this month voted 107-36 to ban red light cameras. Texas lawmakers, unlike their counterparts in other states, decided to allow cities with existing red light camera contracts to keep issuing citations until those contracts expired on their own. The proposed law would then prohibit any new contracts after June 1.
This week, the cities of Arlington and Southlake took a slap at that generous exception. Arlington's city council on Tuesday unanimously decided to change the city's five-year contract with American Traffic Solutions into a twenty-year contract. Long-term photo contracts are rare in the US as cities -- such as Scottsdale, Arizona and Washington, DC -- prefer to have the ability to switch contractors to ensure a compe ive bidding process. Arlington decided to bind future councils for nearly twenty years after a debate that lasted a full twenty-five seconds.
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http://www.thenewspaper.com/news/27/2784.asp