Council scheduled to discuss red-light override

TONIGHT ALBUQUERQUE CITY COUNCILORS WILL VOTE ON TURNING OFF THE RED LIGHT CAMERAS. BUT WE'VE ...  More »

TONIGHT ALBUQUERQUE CITY COUNCILORS WILL VOTE ON TURNING OFF THE RED LIGHT CAMERAS. BUT WE'VE CALLED CITY COUNCILORS -- AND FOUND THE ODDS OF OVER- RIDING THE MAYOR'S VETO ARE SLIM. JEFF MAHER IS LIVE AT DOWNTOWN AT CITY HALL WITH OUR TOP STORY. JEFF? WE SPENT THE MORNING CALLING EVERY CITY COUNCILOR TO SEE WHERE THEY STAND ON THESE RED LIGHT CAMERAS. AND IT LOOKS LIKE MAYOR CHAVEZ HAS ENOUGH COUNCILORS ON HIS SIDE TO KEEP HIS VETO IN PLACE. COUNCILORS KEN SANCHEZ, DEBBIE O'MALLEY, AND ISAAC BENTON ALL SAY THEY'RE GOING TO SIDE WITH THE MAYOR'S VETO - AND KEEP THE PROGRAM GOING. SANCHEZ SAYS COUNCILOR DON HARRIS IS ALSO ON THEIR SIDE. COUNCIL PRESIDENT BRAD WINTER, WHO CAME UP WITH THE BILL TO SUSPEND THE PROGRAM, WOULD FALL SHORT OF THE SIX VOTES NEEDED, INCLUDING HIS OWN TO OVERRIDE THE MAYOR'S VETO. THE COUNCILORS ARE GOING TO TAKE FINAL ACTION ON THE ISSUE WHEN THEY MEET TONIGHT. THE ONES WHO WANT THE WHOLE THING SUSPENDED SAY IT'S NOT FAIR TO TICKET DRIVERS WHILE THE PROGRAM IS IN LIMBO. THE MAYOR'S TASK FORCE IS DOING SOME RESEARCH ON THE RED LIGHT CAMERA PROGRAM TO SEE IF IT'S EFFECTIVE IN REDUCING THE NUMBER OF ACCIDENTS. THEIR REPORT IS DUE BACK JANUARY 15TH. REPORTING LIVE AT CITY HALL. JEFF MAHER. EYEWITNESS NEWS FOUR.  « Less