Suffolk County may have to pay back $91M in shady red-light camera fees leading to massive budget deficit

Suffolk County may have to pay back as much as $91 million in shady fees collected from its controversial red-light camera program — a cost that could cause budget mayhem.The Long Island county is already facing a potential battle over its spending plan, with its Budget Review Office forecasting a massive $552 million deficit by 2028.Suffolk ended its red-light program on Dec.1 but two courts ruled that a $30 administrative fee it tacked onto violations since the program launched in 2010 was illegal because it exceeded a $50 maximum fine.The county is appealing the decision.“While the county cannot comment on the specifics of pending litigation, it is not possible to predict how the county would address this situation,” County Executive Ed Romaine said in a statement.If Suffolk loses the appeal, the county may have to pay even more than just reimbursing drivers who paid the extra fees because state law requires 9% interest for each year the money goes unpaid, according to David Raimondo, an attorney representing Suffolk drivers in a class-action lawsuit.Earlier this month, Romaine warned constituents that the coming financial situation will require “some extraordinary budgeting” and “not everyone’s going to be happy” — but the looming payout is just one piece of a much bigger puzzle.County officials also have to fund a newly approved police union contract with boosted pay, hammer out several other pending labor deals, and contend with the uncertainty of future federal aid and an economy experts warn is on the decline.Suffolk County Comptroller John Kennedy Jr.

did not respond to a request for comment.Meanwhile, Nassau County may have to cough up even more than Suffolk, as it hit red-light runners with not only the standard $50 fine, but added a $45 “driver responsibility fee,” and a $55 “public safety fee” — bringing the total extra cost of a single ticket to $150.The extra fees raked in $64 million in gross revenue for Nassau in 2022 al...