Scott Broden

USA TODAY NETWORK - Tennessee

MURFREESBORO — Red-light camera opponents who'd like to ban the devices will hold an organizational meeting at 6:30 p.m. Thursday at Mayday Brewery.

The Rutherford County Republican Liberty Caucus is holding the event at the brewery at 521 Old Salem Road.

The organizers are taking on the majority of a City Council that says that a fast-growing Murfreesboro — which reached a U.S. Census estimated population of 120,954 in 2014 — is safer on all roads because of the red-light cameras the officials authorized in 2007 to be at six intersections.

"We are calling it our 'Ban the Cam Organizational Meeting,' " said Steve Lane, a Murfreesboro resident who ran unsuccessfully in the Republican primary against U.S. Rep. Scott DesJarlais in 2014. "We will fight the renewal of the red-light camera contract."

The caucus also will register people to vote at an event that will include Murfreesboro City Councilman Eddie Smotherman, who is an opponent of red-light cameras, Lane said. The group seeks to educate people about opposing red-light cameras and supporting district representation for a Murfreesboro City Council that has seven officials elected at-large.

The elected City Council has backed the red-light camera position of former Police Chief Glenn Chrisman, who retired recently. He advocated the council plan to enter into a new red-light camera contract that will add more intersections to be monitored.

The retired police chief persuaded the City Council in August to extend the red-light camera contract through March. He told the elected City Council that 628 fewer crashes occurred at 149 intersections in the 2014-15 fiscal year than in 2007-08 at 122 intersections before the city started its red-light camera enforcement. The total was 1,692 crashes the year before the red-light cameras started, and the total was 1,064 in the previous fiscal year.

The existing red-light cameras are at Broad and Church streets; Church and Middle Tennessee Boulevard; Broad and Northfield Boulevard; Northfield and Memorial Boulevard; Rutherford and Mercury boulevards; and Old Fort Parkway and Thompson Lane.

Lane said the city's red-light camera contract benefits Arizona-based American Traffic Solutions Inc. far more than it does Murfreesboro.

"It’s what we call economic carpet bagging," Lane said. "Millions of dollars are being stripped out of this community and being sent to ATS. We'd rather see that money stay here for parks, roads and sidewalks."

Smotherman said he'll be able to attend the event because the City Council will not meet as scheduled on Thursday.

He also opposes renewing a red-light camera contract.

"It is pulling $1 million out of our local economy (per year)," said Smotherman, who is leaning toward running for a second four-year term in the August election for City Council. "If the camera company truly felt that people wouldn't run red lights once the cameras were installed, then they wouldn't install them because there would be no money to be made."

If most of the seven-member City Council want to continue a red-light camera contract, they should wait until the end of the state legislative session in case lawmakers decide to ban using the cameras.

"If they abolish the cameras, I don't think it would be a prudent idea for the city to enter a contract for a long-term basis using the cameras," Smotherman said.

Smotherman also says that the $50 red-light camera fines are not enforceable.

"Currently, the tickets cannot go on your driving record, nor can they go against your credit history," Smotherman said. "Subsequently, they are very questionable as to whether or not they can even be enforced."

Smotherman noted how about 19,000 drivers ran red lights at the six intersections in the previous fiscal year, and "therefore, I would question that perception that intersections are safer because of the cameras."

Fellow Thursday night meeting organizer Jeff Rainwater agreed that the red-light cameras are benefiting people outside Murfreesboro.

"There are trial lawyers who have smelled blood in other states," Rainwater said. "It is only a matter of time before Tennessee is the next target. It is also concerning that ATS takes most of the money, but if the city loses a court battle, the citizens of Murfreesboro would have to refund 100 percent of the fines."

Rainwater also suggested the city not continue automatic contract extensions with ATS when the current agreement comes to a close by the end of March.

"If the council decides to keep cameras, they should at least put out a Request for Proposal to allow other companies to bid," said Rainwater, who ran for City Council unsuccessfully in 2014. "This will be a campaign issue in the city elections this year. District representation will also be an issue. I have done some research on how the structure of Murfreesboro Council compares to other cities our size. Needless to say, we stand alone with all at-large members in a city our size."

Reach Scott Broden at 615-278-5158 and on Twitter @ScottBroden.