Wrangling over the use of red-light cameras in continuing in St. Peters and other Missouri communities.
It was confirmed this month that Len Pagano, the mayor of St. Peters, intends to keep his city's cameras off, even if a ban on the devices is overturned. Last November, voters went to the ballot box and told city officials in no uncertain terms that they did not like the devices.
According to Pagano, St. Peters' Board of Aldermen will meet soon and are expected to approve a resolution that will seek to terminate the city's contract with Redflex Traffic Systems, an Arizona company that operates the cameras.
Pagano is unsure whether turning the cameras off is a good idea or a poor one, but acknowledges that this is the will of the voters, and he will abide by their decision. He notes that the entire board is also against using the cameras.
However, Mayor Pagano said that they would continue their challenge of the ban in court, on principle. St. Peters and other cities that are party to the suit object to the ban on the grounds that it is counter to state law, which gives municipalities the exclusive control over traffic inside their borders.
Pagano and other city officials might consider working with a postcard printing company to create a mailer for residents discussing the two sides of the issue.
