Wilmington’s proposed budget for the SafeLight program set at $1.4 million

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) —A proposed budget for the city of Wilmington’s next fiscal year, shows the safelight camera program is making less money than it costs.

Under the program, a dozen cameras sit at intersections across the city, taking snapshots of cars that run red lights. The proposed budget says it costs more than $1.4 million to run, but it generates only about a million dollars, which means the city will have to put in an additional $400,000.

A spokesman with the city says 90 percent of the program’s revenue goes to the school system, and the remaining funds keep the program running.

“This is a program that saves lives and prevents accidents. The city and the county are committed to doing what we can to keep the roads safe and this program does just that. So, it is not a revenue generator for the city, it’s for public safety, and that’s why you see it is an expense in the city’s budget and in the county’s budget,” Dylan Lee, city of Wilmington spokesman.

The city and the county fund the remaining of the costs. The budget for Wilmington’s next fiscal year is not finalized. It will be voted on twice by the city council in June.