Red-Light Camera fines in Balcones Heights officially drop in half, effective Sep. 1st under new law

Red-Light Camera in Balcones Heights

The $148 fines assessed for running a red light in Balcones Heights is history. The new fine effective September 1st is now $75.

Under the new state law, Balcones Heights will split the $75 revenue in half with the state. The city will not be allowed to affect a suspected violator's credit rating and under the civil law, a violator can not be arrested, have a warrant served, cannot have their licenses suspended or revoked or be turned over to the insurance companies.

Former Balcones Heights Councilman Steve Walker who voted against the installation of the cameras in September, 2006, says, "since the violation is not criminal, there is no incentive or fear of consequences for not paying the fine, other than doing the right thing and paying the fine."

Senate Bill 1119 signed by Governor Rick Perry also stipulates that cities starting a red light camera program have to do traffic engineering studies and consider whether design changes might work better to reduce red light running.

According to an article by Express-News Transportation Reporter, Pat Driscoll, by mid-August, 4,604 citations had been issued. Driscoll also reports that Balcones Heights reports that a fourth of the tickets, 1,183 were currently not settled.

Walker says he disputes those numbers based on the lack of incentive for violators to pay the fines. In early August, KENS-5 Reporter Ross Polombo interviewed Mayor Jim Craven and asked him to release those numbers. Craven declined citing that the numbers would be misleading. Polombo requested the numbers through the open records act.

Driscoll also reports that Balcones Heights is looking to get the Texas Department of Transportation or Bexar County County Assessor/Collector Sylvia Romo to deny vehicle registrations to owners of vehicles with outstanding red-light tickets.

Romo told Driscoll that nobody has notified her of those intentions. At present that ordinance is not in effect and will not be enforced.

Alamo Heights & Schertz previously looked into the possibility but decided against the installations.