Senator Michael Doherty (R-23) blasted comments by Fort Lee Mayor Mark Sokolich who was quoted in The Record as admitting he wanted to install red light cameras “…yeah, for money reasons. There, I said it. These things generate income.”
“Mayor Sokolich has admitted that he wants the money generated by red light cameras, despite the opposition of Fort Lee residents to his plan,” said Doherty. “The Mayor has stated his intention to put cameras at lights on the edge of town where he says mostly non-residents will be ticketed. If safety was truly the goal, wouldn’t he seek to have cameras installed at the most dangerous intersections rather than the ones least likely to draw residents’ ire?”
The Mayor’s comments came after a meeting held by Doherty in Fort Lee to discuss his legislation (S-1952) to ban red light cameras in New Jersey, attended by many Fort Lee residents who opposed the installation of the cameras in their town.
Doherty questioned at the meeting why the proposal to install red light cameras in Fort Lee isn’t being put before town voters in a referendum.
The Record quoted Sokolich as saying, “You put this on the referendum … [and] I don’t know if it would garner enough support to pass. Every once in a while, government needs to have the fortitude to make a decision that, on its face, is unpopular.”
“Mayor Sokolich knows his proposal to install red light cameras is unpopular and would lose at the polls because people don’t want to become a cash cow for wasteful government,” said Doherty. “This is another example of an elected official who thinks he knows better than the people who elected him. The people of Fort Lee need to make it clear to Mayor Sokolich that he answers to them.”
Doherty added that Mayor Sokolich is likely to fail in his effort since the NJDOT has capped participation in the red light camera pilot program at 25 towns and already has a full contingent.
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