Nassau County Fee Grab Adds to NY’s Affordability Crisis

Nassau County generated a 44 percent increase in revenue from red-light camera violations in 2016, according to new report from Newsday.

That’s thanks in part to the county raising the cost of its “Driver Responsibility” fee from $30 to $45. This fee is one of several that have raised the total cost of red-light camera violations to $150.

To be clear, that’s an additional $150 on top of the price of your original ticket.

In 2009, when the red-light program first began, fines were set at $50 per ticket. That cost has since tripled.

The fee hike has led to a 44 percent increase in revenue from the county’s red-light camera program. However, car accidents increased by 8.42 percent from 2015 to 2016.

Nassau County Executive Laura Curran reportedly proposed an additional two percent increase in red-light camera violation fees in order to close an estimated $105 million budget hole. This proposal was met with opposition by lawmakers who say the fees are already too high.

Nassau County has a long history of outrageous fees, and the costs just keep on growing. Nassau County citizens– who already pay the 2^nd highest property taxes in the nation – are overburdened by money-grabbing lawmakers who seek to rack up more taxpayer dollars to fix their own budgeting mistakes.

Join Reclaim New York Initiative and fight against money-grabbing tactics lawmakers use to patch busted budgets.