COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) - Critics of cameras that catch red-light runners at intersections often claim the whole point is to make money for cities. But that's not how it's turning out in one Missouri community.
The Columbia Missourian reports the city collected $158,515 from red-light camera tickets in the latest fiscal year. But after paying associated expenses, the city recorded only about $18,000 in net revenue.
The newspaper cites a memo from Columbia's assistant city manager to City Manager Bill Watkins that breaks down the expenses.
The biggest is the nearly $59,000 paid to the company that installed and maintains the city's five cameras. Police and the municipal court both had large expenditures for reviewing and processing citations and tickets.
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Information from: Columbia Missourian, http://www.columbiamissourian.com