Monroe voters voice their objection to traffic cameras

Published 8:56 pm Tuesday, November 8, 2011

MONROE — Voters appear to want the city’s traffic enforcement cameras program to end after the contract expires in 2013.

On the first tally of ballots Tuesday, 1,113 votes were against Monroe Proposition No. 3, which asked if the contract with Arizona-based Redflex Traffic Systems should be renewed two years from now.

The early results show about 65 percent of the voters rejected the measure. There were 608 votes, or about 35 percent, in favor as of Tuesday night.

The preliminary results appear to strike another blow against the controversial, but potentially revenue-generating, traffic enforcement cameras.

Last week, the city planned to send a letter to Redflex warning it would terminate its contract after the police department determined the company made multiple mistakes in sending out violation notices, making the fines difficult to collect.

The council put Proposition No. 3 on the ballot within days of authorizing a lawsuit against different groups that sponsored July’s Monroe Initiative No. 1, which sought to ban traffic cameras now. The City Council did not allow the measure onto the ballot. That decision is currently under review by Snohomish County Superior Court Judge George Bowden.

The other two city ballot measures had mixed results.

A proposition aiming to increase the city sales tax one-tenth of 1 percent appears to be rejected by the voters. About 55 percent of voters, 928 ballots, opposed the increase, compared with 45 percent, or 764 ballots in favor, according to Tuesday’s results.

The measure sought to increase the sales tax rate to 8.7 percent from 8.6 percent. Revenue from the increase would have brought in a maximum of $250,000 a year and would have paid for the salaries of two police officers.

Monroe Proposition No. 2 appeared to be approved. The proposition, to set a maximum term limit of nine years for anyone wanting to serve on the council or as mayor, had 1,330 ballots in favor, or 78 percent of the tally. There were 373 ballots, or 22 percent against the measure becoming law.

Alejandro Dominguez: 425-339-3422; adominguez@heraldnet.com.