From the Desk of Former Mayor Malinda Miles

It has been two years since I decided to remove myself from the political scene in Mount Rainier, MD, Prince George's County, and the State of Maryland. Holding the lofty position of Mayor was such a great honor, but as the years flew by, I realized that it was time to do something else -- get a life.! I did, and still continue to provide resources to the residents through The Front Porch Ministries (TFPM). Real people pass through The Front Porch Ministries weekly. LIFE is good.

Monday, June 02, 2014

UPDATE ON SPEED CAMERAS

The never ending discussion on tickets from speed cameras has reached a new high. Drivers may now have a way to seek justice rather than just pay the ticket while coffers get fatter and fatter.

If you have not read the new law and processes, please check out this link: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/dr-gridlock/wp/2014/06/01/maryland-tightens-law-on-speed-cameras/

These are the key provisions:

A government must ensure that citations issued using cameras are sworn to by law enforcement officers.
The contractors responsible for the cameras can’t receive payments based on the number of tickets issued by their cameras.
A contractor must pay damages if more than 5 percent of the camera tickets are issued erroneously.
A school zone speed limit must be at least 20 mph to have a camera.
Before activating a speed camera, the local jurisdiction must ensure that each sign designating a school zone is near a sign warning of the speed camera’s use. When a camera is installed at a new location and the signs set up, the camera can issue only warnings for the first 15 days of operation.
A jurisdiction using speed cameras must designate an employee to act as a sort of ombudsman for people who complain about citations. If the employee determines the ticket was issued in error, the employee can void the citation. (This is in addition to the District Court review, which is still available to people who get speed camera citations.)
If this designated employee determines that a person didn’t receive notice of the violation because of an administrative error, then the employee can either resend the citation or void it.
The surest way of avoiding a $40 ticket is to obey the local speed limit.

Mayor Malinda Miles

As a long-time resident of Mount Rainier and a homeowner, it is important to me that municipal government be inclusive of all of its residents. It is equally important that information be communicated through all possible channel so that residents can get involved. It is also important for residents to volunteer and serve on committees, commissions, boards and task forces. I truly believe that municipal government is the government closes to the people, and as such should be easily accessible. This BLOG is another effort to reach out to the residents of Mount Rainier.