Girard finance committee recommends speed camera revenue redistribution

March 14, 2017 at 12:05a.m.

GIRARD

City Auditor Sam Zarafi made a recommendation to council’s finance committee Monday for redistributing the revenue from the speed camera program.

Zafari suggested the city redistribute revenue from the police department’s hand-held camera program from what was originally planned, to reduce the deficit for fiscal 2017.

Right now, the program’s revenue distribution gives 30 percent to the general fund, 30 percent directly to the police department and 40 percent to streets and sidewalks. The redistribution will move a large majority of the revenue toward the general fund.

“I trust our council members and committee members to come back and make a proper recommendation to council,” Councilman John Moliterno said.

The recommendation will next appear before the safety committee, which will meet two to four weeks after the council meeting Monday, Moliterno said. Afterward, the proposal must pass through the financial committee and then through the council.

From August through December 2016, the city collected $369,000 from the camera, collections of which are operated by Blue Line Solutions of Athens, Tenn. At the end of 2016, the city had a positive overall balance of $1,735,680. But it also recorded deficits of $114,347 in the general fund and $218,885 in the water fund.

Moliterno said this meeting is only the beginning of the conversations of plans to reduce the deficits.