Red Light Camera News Gurnee Village Board Canidates: Shoppers will not come back because of RLC!
http://newssun.suntimes.com/news/3936726-418/gurnee-village-board-slate-runs-on-red-lights.html
Ban the CAMS comment: Cities that use RLC for revenue (which is about 99%) should keep in mind that at some point people will avoid the town if possible. As this statement by Gurnee Village Board Canidate says it all:
He said feedback from out of town people who get ticketed is “consistent. I will never shop in Gurnee again.”
Gurnee Village Board: Slate runs on red lights
by Jim Newton
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Feb 26, 2011 02:06AM
Gurnee’s red-light cameras look to be a hot topic in the municipal campaign for the April 5 general election.
Three of the five candidates seeking three open seats on the Gurnee Village Board are running as the “Repeal Red Light Cameras” slate. They include incumbent Greg Garner and political newcomers Heath Hummel and Matt Koch. Incumbent Cheryl Ross is seeking re-election in the race and Steve Park, a longtime member of the village’s Zoning Board and Planning Commission, is seeking his first elected post.
Hummel said the red light cameras, and the $100 ticket for violators, are an inappropriate method of raising revenue and hurt the village’s image as a shopping mecca.
“It’s a horrible way to treat our residents and the guests to our community,” he said. “They do it in the name of safety, but it is basically finding ways to fleece the people.”
Hummel said visitors and shoppers who are ticketed by cameras near Gurnee Mills or Great America remember it as a negative experience and may be reluctant to return.
“We should be thankful for Great America and Gurnee Mills and we need to be very welcoming and thankful to people who visit Gurnee,” he said.
Hummel said he is a fiscal conservative who believes in limited government, and that he is also concerned about growth of the village’s telecommunications tax.
Koch said the cameras are “a very in-your-face representation of the views of the current administration.”
“We are so dependent on sales tax revenue that we want to create a very pleasant environment for shoppers,” he said. “What does Gurnee do to welcome them? Red light cameras.”
He said feedback from out of town people who get ticketed is “consistent. I will never shop in Gurnee again.”
Koch said the village is competing for shoppers with Pleasant Prairie and Waukegan. “It’s more relevant now than ever. We need those tax dollars,” he said.
Koch said he is also concerned about taxes, and believes that the village, which does not currently impose a village property tax, will soon be debating whether to do so. Not having that tax, he said, “is one of the things that makes Gurnee a desirable place to live.”
Garner, who as a trustee voted against installing the red light cameras, said the upcoming election will show whether residents are in favor of the cameras or not.
“Is it really about safety or is it really about revenue,” he said. “It’s really about revenue from my point of view.”
Garner said that in making the case for the cameras, officials said they would cut down on people running red lights and creating a hazardous situations. But since the cameras have been installed, the majority of tickets issued have involved right turns on red lights.
“I think it’s a nickel and diming way to separate residents from their dollars,” he said, adding that Schaumburg removed its red light cameras due to impact on businesses.
Garner also said the board needs to reduce expenses in the village.
“In the five years I’ve been on the board, we have not taken a hard look at that,” he said, adding that the village telecommunications tax and water rate has gone up. “The economy is down. My question is, where are the cuts?”
Park said that his business experience includes economics and budgeting, and that 10 years on the village’s Planning Commission and Zoning Board has him well acquainted with the village’s economic issues and opportunities for growth. He said he is running to bring that experience to the board.
My background is in city planning. I think maybe I can help the community. “It’s that simple,” he said.
Park said much of Gurnee’s future business growth will include redevelopment of existing sites, and that he has knowledge specific to such projects, which he said are more complex than developing new sites.
Traffic congestion and the need for road improvements are also important issues Park said. On the red light issues, Park said he doesn’t believe they should be used strictly for revenue, but if they improve safety, they may serve a role. He said that issue defines the candidates running on that slate, not the election.
Ross, a retired Woodland School District teacher is seeking her second term on the board. She also served on the village Plan Commission for eight years. She said the main issue facing the next Village Board is maintaining quality services for village residents while keeping costs down.
“We’ve done very well holding the line on expenses,” Ross said. “Coming out of the recession, everyone is going to be looking for funds.”
She said infrastructure and road improvements will be significant issues for the village over the next few years.”
On the red light issue, Ross said statistics she has been shown to date show accidents have been reduced at most of the intersections at which they have been installed. She said those statistics will be discussed at a future meeting prior to a decision on whether or not to renew the red light camera contract. (Be wary of "statistics" from a those with a financial interest. In CHICAGO, the city was busted lying on their RLC stats! http://www.myfoxchicago.com/dpp/news/metro/red-light-cameras-chicago-crashes-accidents-20100607)
“I’ve lived in Gurnee all my life and I enjoy the privilege of serving. I want to keep it a great place to live and raise a family,” Ross said.
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