Red-light cameras may be coming down in Apopka

APOPKA, Fla. — Days may be numbered for red-light cameras in Apopka.

Apopka Mayor-elect Bryan Nelson campaigned on removing the cameras in the city limits.

“Let’s grow the city of Apopka without red-light cameras,” he said in a campaign video.

Weeks after the election in mid-March, Nelson said he’s keeping his promise.

“I even had business who aren’t even in Apopka tell their drivers not to drive through the city unless they were forced to,” Nelson said.

Nelson’s promise comes less than a year after the city voted to keep the cameras up for another five years.

At the city commission meeting in June in which the extension was passed, outgoing Mayor Joe Kilsheimer supported the program.

But with Kilsheimer out and Nelson in, turning the cameras off seems more of a possibility.

“There’s a clause in there that we can get out of the contract as of December 31st with a 30-day notice,” said Nelson.

But no cameras means cutting off roughly $500,000 in revenue for the city, according to Nelson.

“Right now we’re getting in budget season and we are going to have to take a hard look at everything we have had,” he said.

But for the past 10 years, the cameras have done more than catch red-light runners, officials said.

The cameras have helped solve crimes and crash investigations, which is why Nelson wants to look at other technology that can help in the same way.

“We would like to keep cameras for purposes other than giving red-light camera tickets,” said Nelson.

Cox Media Group