The Arlington City Council voted Tuesday night to put a red light camera ban on the upcoming May ballot.
The group "Citizens for a Better Arlington" collected 11,400 signatures on a petition to remove the cameras.
They want the cameras taken down, arguing their only purpose is to make money for the city.
At least one member of the city council, Robert Rivera, has gone on the record opposed to the city's 23 devices. In September 2014, Rivera asked the council to remove them because there is little incentive for drivers to pay the citations.
Mayor Robert Cluck and council members Charlie Parker, Sheri Capehart and Kathryn Wilemon, also in September 2014, expressed their support for the cameras, saying they were less concerned about people not paying their fines and more concerned with how they’ve improved safety.
According to the Arlington Police Department, the number of crashes at intersections with the cameras dropped 32 percent from 2012-2013 (the most recent data available).
Cluck said as far as he’s concerned, that means the cameras are doing their job.
“I know as soon as they come down, those accident rates are going to start increasing,” said Cluck. “I would have a difficult time living with that fact.”
As a formality, a second reading of the ordinance calling for the special election will be placed in the council’s consent agenda at its next meeting in two weeks.
NBC 5's Tim Ciesco and Bianca Castro contributed to this report.
