We have previously informed readers of the dispute between Gwinnett County and 14 cities within it concerning those entities' inability to agree on and come to terms over who should be paying for things like road maintenance and police protection. The bickering has prevented an agreement on a budget, which, in turn, bars the county from receiving state grants and permits under state law.
One such permit is an allowance for county police departments to use radar and laser to catch speeding drivers. The ban on that has precluded the cities disputing with the County from having these tools at their disposal, since the beginning of the year (please see our May 19 blog post).
The effect of that has been pronounced, with Deputy County Administrator Aaron Bovos saying at a county commissioners meeting last month that revenues anticipated in the county budget this year from traffic ticket inflows are about $1.3 million less than expected owing to the lack of radar.
The problem is ongoing and longstanding, with litigation between the county and affected cities commencing last year. A judge's decision is still pending and, because of that, the ban continues to exist.
At the recent commissioners' meeting, discussion centered on budgeting for an extra $372,136 for "payments to other government agencies." Although specifics were left unstated, Bovos did say that the money is intended to be used as a possible litigation settlement.
The question centers on whether the money is earmarked for payments to the municipalities in connection with the radar ban. It is known that the county and cities have been actively engaged in negotiations.
"Our lips are sealed on pending litigation," said Gwinnett County Board Chairwoman Charlotte Nash.
Related Resource: Atlanta Journal-Constitution "Dispute with cities cutting Gwinnett's revenue from traffic fines" June 21, 2011
