In April, Suffolk County opened its Traffic Violations Bureau in Hauppauge, which allowed it to keep control over revenue from fines rather than having it handled in Albany. Yet, with the new set-up, many drivers ticketed in Suffolk County are facing frustration.
The frustration is strong among those who have been ticketed, but who had their ticket dismissed.
While most drivers simply walk out clear on a dismissed ticket in other counties in New York State, in Suffolk County, you still need to pay an administrative fee on a dismissed ticket.
Fees can run anywhere from $25 to $50 even when you are found “not guilty.”
The administrative fee is tacked on to cover for the prosecution of ticketing.
This is apparently helping to close a budget gap. And, come next year, it is expected there will be a gain of $10 million just from processing fees.
Drivers in Suffolk County have voiced their frustration to lawmakers to end the practice of charging those who have been cleared of any violation, and some lawmakers are in agreement to introduce a bill that would stop the fee from applying on most dismissed tickets.
“Traffic violations should be about safety, not about revenue generation,” according to Legislator William Spencer, in reporting from CBS New York.
The fees have applied to tickets for Stopping, Standing, and Parking violations.
[Source: Suffolk County Traffic and Parking Violation Agency; CBS New York.]