City wins red-light camera appeal MONROE - The state Court of Appeals ruled in favor of the city of Monroe on red-light cameras.
The ruling says the issue of red-light cameras is outside the scope of the local initiative power. The ruling says the decision to use red-light cameras lies with local legislative bodies — such as city councils — and not with the electorate.
The ruling invalidates a 2011 citizens initiative to remove the city’s current cameras and impose a public vote before any future move is made to install cameras.
Seeds of Liberty and Tim Eyman got enough signatures to quality the initiative for the ballot, but the city of Monroe sued to block the measure.
Eyman was not happy.
In a press release, he said the ruling is “frightening” and is pushing for approval of his latest initiative. Initiative 517 says any initiative that qualifies for the ballot is guaranteed a vote. He’s calling it the “protect your right to vote on initiatives” initiative.
State law currently carves out issues that cannot be put up to a vote through the local or state initiative process.
Red-light cameras are on that list.
The ruling gets the city off the hook to pay back Seeds of Liberty’s legal expenses.
