Decreased Speed Camera Revenue May Have Contributed to DC's $38 Million Budget Shortfall

The District of Columbia is facing a nearly $40 million budget shortfall in part because the police department didn't replace batteries in some speed cameras and other traffic enforcement cameras, Mayor Muriel Bowser acknowledged Tuesday.

The problem was first reported by the Washington Post.

"I think they were delayed in being installed or not turned on when they should have been," Bowser said Tuesday. "I don’t know the details of which, or really why, but I do know it's created a shortfall."

Last year, D.C. Police Chief Cathy Lanier said the decline in the number of tickets being issued was because the camera program was working so well that drivers were changing their behavior. Lanier didn't say anything about cameras not being installed on time or about maintenance problems.

Tuesday, a spokesperson for the police said in a statement, "During periods of extreme cold and snow last winter, there were instances when we could not change the batteries because they were not accessible, or the temperature affected the charge.

"We have taken additional steps to enhance internal temperature controls since last winter alleviating this problem," the statement read.

The $38 million shortfall from the decline in tickets being issued could lead to budget cuts. Bowser and District councilmembers said they hoped that would not be the case, though Bowser added, "If we were counting on those dollars we will have to make it up somewhere."

But one District councilmember said he'd rather not balance the District's budget on revenue from traffic enforcement.

"I'm not surprised that things didn't get done, and going forward I want to look at not using this as a major revenue source for the city," said Councilmember Jack Evans.

"We don’t think we should be balancing the budget on red light camera revenue," Evans said. "It's uncertain, it's unfair, and when we look to lower fines we can't, because we balance the budget on it."

Council chairman Phil Mendelson said the District's reliance on camera revenue had made the government "greedy."

"When we get too greedy about how much we get in revenue, anytime there’s a little blip we have a budget problem," Mendelson said.