CITY OF SEATTLE
ORDINANCE __________________
COUNCIL BILL __________________
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AN ORDINANCE relating to automated traffic safety cameras; updating financial and fund policies related to the use of cameras and the name of the associated fund; and amending Ordinance 124230.
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WHEREAS, in May 2025 the City Council passed Council Bill 120971 (enacted as Ordinance 127213), implementing new requirements for the Seattle Department of Transportation’s Automated Traffic Safety Camera Program and amending Ordinance 124230 regarding financial and fund policies related to the use of Automated Traffic Safety Camera revenues; and
WHEREAS, during Council deliberations on Council Bill 120971, an amendment was adopted that modified the restricted use and increased the restricted percentage of red light cameras to 30 percent, but did not also increase the deposit requirement to the same amount for the Automatic Traffic Camera Safety Fund; and
WHEREAS, the intended name of the Fund is the Automated Traffic Safety Camera Fund, to match the name of the Program; and
WHEREAS, the intent of Ordinance 127213’s requirements is to align restrictions on the use of camera revenues with the guidelines for City Funds in order to provide transparency and efficient allocation of resources; NOW, THEREFORE,
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY OF SEATTLE AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. Sections 1 through 4 of Ordinance 124230, last amended by Ordinance 127213, are amended as follows:
Section 1. A new ((Automatic Traffic Camera Safety)) Automated Traffic Safety Camera Fund is created in the City Treasury ((upon the)) effective ((date of this ordinance)) June 16, 2025, to which revenues may be deposited, and from which associated expenditures may be paid including, but not limited to, operating, maintenance, capital and City administration costs for the purposes described in Section 2 of this ordinance.
Section 2. The purpose of creating the ((Automatic Traffic Camera Safety)) Automated Traffic Safety Camera Fund is to separately account for the revenues generated by ((automatic)) automated traffic safety cameras authorized under Section 11.50.570 of the Seattle Municipal Code.
Section 3. The new ((Automatic Traffic Camera Safety)) Automated Traffic Safety Camera Fund shall receive ((20)) 30 percent of revenues from cameras that detect stoplight violations in accordance with Section 11.50.130 of the Seattle Municipal Code, all revenues from all other automatic traffic safety camera types authorized in Section 11.50.570 of the Seattle Municipal Code, and other monies as authorized by ordinance. The Fund shall receive earnings on its positive balances and pay interest on its negative balances.
Section 4. The Director of the Seattle Department of Transportation shall have responsibility for administering the ((Automatic Traffic Camera Safety)) Automated Traffic Safety Camera Fund. The Director of Finance is authorized to create other accounts within the ((Automatic)) Automated Traffic Safety Camera Fund as may be needed or appropriate to implement the Fund's purpose and intent as established by this ordinance as amended.
Section 2. This ordinance shall take effect as provided by Seattle Municipal Code Sections 1.04.020 and 1.04.070.
Passed by the City Council the ________ day of _________________________, 2025, and signed by me in open session in authentication of its passage this ________ day of _________________________, 2025.
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President ____________ of the City Council
Approved / returned unsigned / vetoed this ____day of _______________, 2025.
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Bruce A. Harrell, Mayor
Filed by me this ________ day of _________________________, 2025.
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Scheereen Dedman, City Clerk
(Seal)