Funds raised by Belleville’s new speed enforcement cameras may soon be directed to fund some municipal programs, in lieu of planed tax increases.
Belleville mayor Neil Ellis released a statement on Thursday afternoon, declaring that he will be bringing a proposal to council to have funds raised from the speed cameras be used to fund both The Bridge project, and the city’s doctor recruitment program.
Originally The Bridge project was planned to be funded from a one per cent tax increase, over two years. This proposal would replace the 2025 portion of that increase with revenue from the speed cameras.
The Automated Speed Enforcement (ASE) program was introduced earlier this year. Speed cameras were installed in community safety zones on Sidney Street, Harder Drive, Victoria Ave and College Street East, capturing images of vehicles travelling above the posted speed limit and issuing tickets accordingly.
In the same press statement, Mayor Ellis addressed some community concerns about the cameras, particularly with tickets being issued for very slight speeding.
“There has been a lot of speculation about the threshold of the ASE cameras, however, I can guarantee that they are set to more than ‘just a few’ kilometres over the posted limit,” said Mayor Ellis. “In fact, I would encourage anyone who has or receives a ticket for a violation between 41 km/hour and the mid-40s over the next two weeks to bring their ticket to City Hall and I will personally pay it myself.”
He also stressed the importance of The Bridge project, in a bid to address the needs of people experiencing homelessness in the area. The Bridge is set to be a combined services hub for those suffering homelessness, with supports designed to help them get out of homelessness.
Mayor Ellis also lauded the success of the doctor recruitment program, which would also receive some of the speed camera revenue. Since its inception, the program has brought 52 doctors to the region, though 30 more are still required to meet current needs.
The proposal will be part of the 2025 budget discussions in February.
