Petition to halt Mukilteo traffic cameras comes up short

Published 8:49 pm Sunday, June 20, 2010

MUKILTEO — Tim Eyman will need a little more time to gather signatures for his initiative opposing red-light cameras.

Eyman’s initiative, only the second in city history, seeks to overturn a City Council decision to install cameras along the Mukilteo Speedway to monitor red-light runners and school-zone speeders.

The initiative would force a public vote whenever city officials want to add the cameras.

A review of petitions by the Snohomish County Auditor’s Office, however, turned up about 400 invalid signatures for the initiative, elections manager Garth Fell said.

The county has to verify 1,793 valid signatures before it can certify the petitions. That number represents the required 15 percent of registered voters who cast votes in the November 2009 general election.

Eyman said he thought the 1,909 signatures he collected over two weeks would be enough to make up for any invalid signatures. He has until June 28 to collect the signatures he needs.

“We knew we needed more but we didn’t know we needed that many,” he said. “It definitely was premature for us to celebrate when we did.”

The earliest the measure could appear on the ballot is Nov. 2.

The council could adopt Eyman’s petition as city law, vote to place it on the ballot or take no action, city attorney Angela Belbeck said.

Council members will discuss red light cameras and Eyman’s initiative at 7 p.m. Monday at City Hall, 1930 Cyrus Way.

Oscar Halpert: 425-339-3429, ohalpert@heraldnet.com.