Noah Pransky

WTSP-TV, Tampa, Fla.

BROOKSVILLE, Florida - The red light camera industry is banding together to prevent citizens in a tiny Florida city from having a say on whether they want to keep the controversial technology in their town. A new coalition, similar to groups in other states, is suing to block a voter referendum after citizens got the necessary signatures to get a camera repeal vote on the November ballot.

Florida's leading red light camera-provider, American Traffic Solutions, confirms to 10 Investigates Wednesday that it has joined the fight to prevent a citizen-backed referendum on red light cameras from ever reaching a ballot. The city is also fighting the referendum on grounds that it infringes upon city council's power.

However, the enemy of the city's enemy is not its friend in this case; the city is objecting to the intervention from the industry-backed group.

Tampa law firm Carlton Fields Jorden Burt incorporated a group last week called "Keep Florida Roads Safe," and filed lawsuits to prevent voters from having a say on red light cameras. The firm has represented ATS before, but would not reveal if it formed the new group on behalf of ATS.

ATS, which has the majority of Florida' 70-plus red light camera contracts but not Brooksville's, appears concerned about a possible precedent-setting legal decision and citizen vote.

The company, which has spent approximately $1 million lobbying Tallahassee the last three years, would not comment on whether its support of Keep Florida Roads Safe included financial backing. ATS spokesman Charley Territo kept repeating a written statement: "ATS supports the coalition and its efforts to promote red-light safety cameras."

Carlton Fields answered questions about the leadership and purpose of "Keep Florida Roads Safe" with a prepared statement Wednesday afternoon. The statement didn't give any hints as to whom incorporated the group, but said, "It is a non-profit entity whose purpose is to ensure that decision makers at all levels of government are educated about the relationship between state and local laws governing traffic safety...Keep Florida Roads Safe supports the city of Brooksville's position on their red-light safety camera program and stands ready to provide any assistance needed in their efforts to continue the important safety initiative."

Texas attorney Andy Taylor, in Brooksville to represent the coalition, told WTSP that the coalition was made up of citizens and businesses that favored keeping cameras on Florida roads. However, he couldn't identify if any were from Hernando County.

"I don't know the addresses of the citizens. You can call the law firm (Carlton Fields) that helped me file the petition," Taylor said. "What I can tell you in confidence is that this organization is designed for one single purpose, and that is to keep the red light camera program going statewide because it saves lives."

Taylor said he had worked on similar campaigns in numerous other states. WTSP found at least 20 similarly-named red light camera advocacy groups across the country, with names such as SaferCreoleRoads.com, SaferNewYork.com and TexasSafe.com.

In addition to suing the petition-gatherers, Keep Florida Roads Safe is also suing the county's Supervisor of Elections, Shirley Anderson, to prevent her office from putting a red light camera referendum on the county ballot. Anderson's attorney, Cliff Taylor, has filed a motion to remove her from the suit.

"It amazes us that this small city can garner this much attention, except that we could set a precedent in Florida," Pat and Shirley Miketinac, the defendants who gathered the petitions, said in an e-mail to WTSP. "Just imagine if the citizens found out that they could have a say in their own government. That might set a 'dangerous' precedent indeed!"

"It's all about the money," said Hernando County Commissioner Jim Adkins, who used to work for the city of Brooksville. "Follow the money trail (to) find out what's going on."

Cliff Taylor also serves as general counsel for the City of Brooksville, which maintains the ballot language is unconstitutional by restricting council's power to sign into future camera contracts. The Miketinacs are seeking to end the city's current red light camera contract with Sensys America and prohibit future city councils from ever entering into another RLC contract.

Brooksville has developed a reputation for using the cameras to generate huge profits, mostly through over-aggressive right turn on red ticketing. The town of about 8,000 residents makes millions of dollars a year on RLC fines.

On Wednesday, a Hernando County judge told the Miketinacs and the city to plan for a judgement hearing on October 14. It's still unclear if Keep Florida Roads Safe will be allowed to take part in the hearing.

If the case needs to go to trial, it would take place no earlier than early December, leaving a special election the only hope for citizens looking to cast ballots on red light cameras.

Taylor, the attorney for the new group, has sued citizen groups over red light cameras before. Boasting that he's "never lost" on the red light camera issue in other states, Taylor said his group's goal wasn't to squelch democracy, but to make sure it complied with the law. When asked if he knew what parties his coalition was comprised of, he said he wasn't familiar with the individuals he represented. He has, however, represented ATS in previous cases.

Most U.S. states now utilize red light cameras to issue automated traffic citations, however, a growing number of communities are removing them amid controversy.