Suffolk County’s red-light camera program will officially expire Dec. 1 if lawmakers in Albany do not vote in advance to renew it. The State Senate and Assembly are set to adjourn Friday, with no current plan to return to Albany before that deadline.
Such an extension bill usually requires a “home rule” message from the county and its local lawmakers because it deals with fees and revenue and affects the county’s budget — in this case, to the tune of $9 million collected a year. But the county’s legislature met Tuesday without approving such a message, and with Presiding Officer Kevin McCaffrey telling The Point: “We can’t do a home rule without [legislative] bill numbers and sponsors which we do not have.” It seems local politicians do not want their fingerprints on a safety-oriented program that has many vocal detractors.
In Albany, there was no visible progress by midafternoon on what would be called an “extender” bill for use of the cameras. Apparently, none of the Senate’s Long Island members are leaping up to rescue the use of the devices on Suffolk streets and roads that bring in big revenue and discourage red-light running. Still, they’re willing to accept a way to continue the program — complained about by some motorists and lawmakers for more than a decade — without loudly championing it.
From our Editorial Board, get inside the local, city and state political scenes. By clicking Sign up, you agree to our privacy policy . McCaffrey said.
