Supervisors hear new speed camera fund options

SLOWING DOWN?

Our hope is that no one speeds, but we also know that’s not the reality. We are estimating about $2 to $2.5 million annually, but we are seeing people slowing down.”

Garry Seyb, Lee County Supervisor Chairman

SIX MONTHS

According to the Lee County Sheriff’s department webpage, approximately $1.2 million in fines were issued from Feb. 1 to July 31, a span of six months.

LEE COUNTY – With new legislation dictating how revenues from local speed cameras can be allocated, Lee County is revisiting an ordinance already in place.
The county has speed camera operations in three locations along Hwy. 27 that are generating close to $2 million per year in fines paid by motorists caught speeding through the corridor.
According to the Lee County Sheriff’s department webpage, approximately $1.2 million in fines were issued from Feb. 1 to July 31, a span of six months.
Data available from March through July shows 17,394 citations were issued through the six operational cameras, two at each location. Of those, 6,730, or just 39%, were Iowa motorists.
The top speed recorded was 98 mph in March, April, and May; 95 was the highest in June; and 97 in July. One camera didn’t report data in March, April, and July, while two had no data in May and June.
June recorded the highest number of fines paid at just over $300,000. In July, that dropped to nearly half at $160,650.
The ordinance was passed last year and moved the fine revenue into a non-budgeted, but interest-bearing account that could be accessed by supervisors for a wide range of expenses, in essence at the supervisors' discretion. To date, only about $50,000 has been spent out of the fund.
However, since new legislation was passed by the governor that dictates how the funding can be used, in addition to giving the Iowa Dept. of Transportation authority to grant or deny the cameras based on local government applications, the funds are now being put into a separate account. This was done to separate any revenues obtained prior to the legislation from revenues governed by the new legislation.
Both accounts are interest-bearing and, according to the new legislation,  the interest is allowed to be used by the county as it sees fit.
The rest of the funds must be used by the county sheriff’s department or for road infrastructure improvements.
Lee County Supervisor Chairman Garry Seyb, who crafted the last ordinance prior to the legislation, told Supervisors Monday that he is reworking the ordinance in conjunction with Lee County Attorney Ross Braden and will have new language in front of the board in the near future.
“My belief is that the first account we can use for whatever we want,” Seyb said. "But the the other account would fall under current legislation and we’re keeping that separate. It's limited to any purpose in the sheriff’s department and has selective language for secondary roads.”
The original ordinance placed 25% of fine revenue into an emergency reserve funds with the remainder going to the sheriff’s budget, secondary roads, Lee County EMS, Lee County Auditor’s office, the Lee County K9 Association, Lee County Crimestoppers, and Lee County Narcotics Task Force.
Under Seyb’s new proposal, 25% would go to an emergency reserve fund for the sheriff and secondary roads. He used the example of the bridge that collapsed on the Skunk River as a cost that would be paid for out of the emergency fund, or a sheriff cruiser that is damaged in a pursuit.
After the initial 25%, another 15% each would go directly to the Sheriff’s budget and the county roads' budget to use as those departments see fit. That would leave 45% of the funds which would go into a different fund. That interest-bearing fund would be for the sheriff and the roads department to use for non-emergent projects or purchases that typically the budget wouldn’t allow for.
“They can ask for remaining funds based on projects they may have in the works,” he said.
That account would grow and would require a supermajority vote of supervisors to access the funds, which is four of five supervisors voting in favor of the expenditure. Any interest would be skimmed off and moved to the county’s general fund.
Seyb said he would also be willing to consider using some of those funds in a partnership with county municipalities to provide funds for road infrastructure projects within their jurisdictions, and the Lee County Fire Association to help provide needed training or equipment.
Seyb told supervisors the money should not be budgeted because the state could change direction on the cameras, or in a perfect world, people would stop speeding.
“Our hope is that no one speeds, but we also know that’s not the reality,” he said.
“We are estimating about $2 to $2.5 million annually, but we are seeing people slowing down.
“I really want this funding to be safety-oriented and to allow us to do things we normally wouldn’t be allowed to do, and not be placed in the budget. At some place in some time these cameras may not be there, but we can make generational changes in the county while we can still use it.”