Gray said his budget is balanced in part by that steep rise in speed camera fines from more speed cameras on different streets at different times. The mayor's budget director said Motorists too often avoid permanent cameras, said the mayor’s budget director, Eric Goulet.The proposed budget increases "automated enforcement" revenues from $105 million in FY 2014 to a goal of $155 million in FY15, a 47% increase. The FY14 budgeted amount was a $30 million increase from FY13.
“What you've found as residents, when the mayor goes out and when I’ve been at budget town halls, particularly, complain about people slowing down for the fixed traffic cameras and then speeding up as soon as those are and then speeding through neighborhoods,” Goulet said.
At-large Council member David Catania, an independent candidate for mayor, suggested the city ought to better warn motorists.
“I think we need to do a public service announcement, to some extent, or a push that lets people know this because nothing makes people angrier than this gotcha mentality of this government that balances its budgets by these kinds of mechanisms,” Catania said.
Mayor Gray recently lost DC's democratic primary to Muriel Bowser, after prosecutors alleged that Gray knew about an illegal fundraising operation that helped him capture the 2010 election.
