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City officials to legislators: Traffic camera use 'our choice, not yours'

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home rule."> When Windsor Heights put traffic cameras along University Avenue in 2017, it was meant to cut down on speeding and accidents. <Dave Burgess 7237 48:24-26 "Contrary to popular belief, they do work."> Between February 2017 and December 2018, the amount of citations issued by the traffic cameras has gone down 64 percent. And when the Iowa Senate passed a bill on Tuesday banning the cameras, Windsor Heights officials say it takes away their local control. <Dave Burgess 7237 54:29-46"If you want to do it on state highways, you're not affecting us. That's none of our business, you do what you wanna do. But inside of our community, we would prefer to do our ow It's our choice not yours."> But traffic camera critics s people just know how to avoid getting a ticket. <Anne Price 7242 1:17-21"I don't feel like it's effective though, why would I not speed on one block and speed in the next block."> Opponents to the cameras - think they're a way for Windsor Heights and other communities to make a quick buck. <Brad Zaun 7221 46:56-01"That is a great example of gotcha cameras. And I think they abuse the citizens of the state of Iowa."> <Dave Burgess 7237 49:06-11"It's not a gotcha cam like some of the politicians have espoused on."> The citations the cameras issue are civil-- not criminal offenses -- which means they don't go on your driving record, and don't effect your insurance. <Dave Burgess 7237 49:55- 59"You speed, you pay, everything goes away."> But some who have received a ticket in the mail are wondering what happened to due process. <Anne Price 7242 :11-15"I feel like if you can't catch me, you don't deserv

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The Iowa Senate passed a bill Tuesday that would ban traffic cameras from sending speeding tickets to drivers.Legislators at the Statehouse say traffic cameras abuse Iowans, but local leaders said banning the cameras altogether takes away local control of speeding."If you want to do it on state highways, you're not affecting us,” Windsor Heights Mayor Dave Burgess said. “That's none of our business. You do what you wanna do. But inside of our community, we would prefer to do our own. It's our choice, not yours."Burgess said Windsor Heights put traffic cameras on University Avenue in 2017 to cut down speeding and accidents."Contrary to popular belief, they do work,” Burgess said.Citations issued by traffic cameras decreased 64 percent between February 2017 and December 2018.Critics of traffic camera said tickets could be down because drivers know how to avoid them."I don't feel like it's effective though,” driver Anne Price said. “Why would I not speed on one block and speed in the next block?”Sen. Brad Zaun, R-Urbandale, said he thinks traffic cameras help communities to make a quick buck."That is a great example of gotcha cameras, and I think they abuse the citizens of the state of Iowa,” Zaun said."It's not a gotcha cam like some of the politicians have espoused on,” Burgess said.Cameras-issued citations are civil offenses rather than criminal offenses, which means they do not go on driving records or affect insurance rates."You speed, you pay,” Burgess said. “Everything goes away."Those who have received a ticket in the mail said they wonder what happened to due process."I feel like if you can't catch me, you don't deserve to give me a ticket,” Price said.The Iowa House proposed a traffic camera separate from the bill in the Senate. The House bill would not ban traffic cameras but would regulate where the money they generate goes.