Suffolk County may need to pay $91 million for the shady fees collected from the controversial red light camera program. This is a cost that can cause budget mayhem.
Long Island County is already facing a potential battle over spending plans, with budget review offices projecting a $552 million deficit by 2028.
Suffolk ended the Red Light program on December 1, but two courts found that the $30 administrative fee charged on the violation was a violation because the program launched in 2010 was illegal because it exceeded a fine of up to $50.
The county is suing the decision.
“The county cannot comment on the details of the pending lawsuit, but we cannot predict how the county will deal with this situation,” county executive Ed Romain said in a statement.
If Suffolk loses appeal, the county may not just refund the refund to drivers who pay the extra fee, as state law requires 9% interest annually.
Earlier this month, Romain warned that the upcoming financial situation would require “extraordinary budgeting” and “not everyone will be happy,” but the looming payouts are just one of the much bigger puzzles.
County officials should also be salaries and funding boosted by newly approved police union contracts, launching several other pending labor contracts, fighting uncertainty about future federal aid, and what economic experts warn are on the decline.
Suffolk County Commissioner John Kennedy Jr. declined to respond to a request for comment.
Meanwhile, Nassau County may have to cough more than Suffolk as it not only added a standard $50 fine, but also added a $45 “driver liability fee,” plus a $55 “public safety fee,” and brought the total cost of one ticket to $150.
In 2022 alone, Nassau’s total revenues cost an additional $64 million. Records obtained by Newsday.
The total amount the county may be owed is unknown, but Nassau lawmakers recently introduced a bill that would permanently eliminate administrative fees and establish a fund to refund ticketed drivers charged at these fees.
“For years, Nassau’s red light cameras have been more about revenue than safety. Drivers paid the price,” Democrat Seth Koslow, who introduced the bill in December 2024, told the post. “Now is the time to stop running away and start a refund,” he said.
Nassau County executive Bruce Blakeman did not respond to a request for comment.
