Kamenetz Administration Clarifies Moxley's Comments on New Speed Camera Law

Baltimore County officials are clarifying recent comments made by a county lobbyist about delaying the implementation of the new.

Don Mohler, chief of staff to County Executive Kevin Kamenetz and a county spokesman, did not contest that in Towson Patch were accurate, but said on Wednesday that the statements did not fully convey the administration's position.

"If you pass the law, we assume at some point it will be used," Mohler said Wednesday.

Mohler made his comments after reading published accounts of statements made by Moxley—a former councilman turned administration lobbyist—at a meeting with General Assembly members from Baltimore County.

At the meeting last week, Moxley was answering a question from a legislator regarding the current status of the new law, which authorizes an unlimited number of speed cameras in the county.

"It doesn't mean they're going to add any cameras at this time. It just means that they can add them, and there's obviously a cost involved to the setup of the cameras as well," Moxley told the legislators. "The county executive has no plans at this time to go into additional costs for those."

Mohler said additional cameras are possible if the police department requests them.

"The county executive certainly isn't going to select a site and the council isn't selecting sites," Mohler said. "For us, this is going to be about public safety.

"When the chief looks at an area and thinks it needs a speed camera, he will come forward and that request will be considered at that time," he added.

The law passed last month would also allow the county to purchase additional portable cameras. Mohler defined portable cameras as fixed cameras that are easily moved from location to location, much like the red light cameras in the county.

Mobile cameras, by contrast, are ones mounted on vans or other vehicles, Mohler said.

It is not clear if the county can purchase the new cameras under the current contract with ACS State and Local Solutions. The county announced last month prior to the council vote that it had exercised a one-year option on that contract.

Mohler said the county purchasing office is reviewing the issue now.

So is the county buying any more cameras?

"Not at this time, because we haven't had a request from the chief to buy them," Mohler said.