Nassau County lawmakers seek to repeal whopping red light camera ticket fees
MINEOLA, N.Y. - A move is in the works on Long Island to repeal whopping fees on red light camera tickets.
In Nassau County, the cost is $150 if you pay it on time. Drivers told CBS2's Jennifer McLogan exorbitant fees are nothing more than backdoor taxes and should be illegal.
There were strong feelings from irate Long Island drivers. Their $50 red light camera violation is tripled with various administration feeds.
"It's robbery. I'm going in to get robbed right now," one person said.
"I took another day off just for them to tell me the cost, $150, became $199," said another.
Nassau County Legislator Joshua Lafazan wants the $45 driver responsibility fee expunged.
"I am proposing a drastic cut in fees collected by Nassau County," said Lafazan.
In early December, Suffolk voted to end its $30 red light camera fee.
Drivers across Long Island complain fees are a camouflaged way to raise revenue even as county executives crow "no tax increases."
"I think they're ripping people off," one person said.
"Very much annoyed," another said.
"It's too much. It's way too much," said another.
Drivers are saying enough with party politics.
"My Republican colleagues actually voted to cut these fees just last year. So if the plan was good enough 12 months ago, it's certainly good enough right now to enact," Lafazan said.
McLogan reached out to the Republican county executive and majority leadership. There are no plans at this time to reintroduce the measure to end the fees.
Not only do drivers McLogan spoke with want the red light camera fees repealed, they want to be repaid for the millions each year tacked onto their tickets.
"I'm in college right now so it's kind of hard to pay all these fees, debts," one person said.
Sales revenues rebounded in Nassau County amid substantial federal aid.
"The county really has never been in a better financial position to do something like this. Let's right the wrong," said Legislator Debra Mule.
The Democratic proposal in Nassau County would also slash costly mortgage, deed and tax map verification fees.