OAKBROOK TERRACE, Ill. - A fight over red light cameras is once again brewing in west suburban Oakbrook Terrace, where the previous mayor pled guilty to taking $88,000 in bribes from someone with a financial interest in the company that operates them and from employees of an outside sales company.
On Monday, a judge ordered the cameras to be reactivated and now, residents of the town took their concerns straight to the City Council.
"Do laws matter in our Land of Lincoln anymore? Or is Illinois run by corrupt politicians who think they can hammer us with fake tickets?" said Hillside resident Roger Romanelli, addressing the Oakbrook Terrace City Council Tuesday night. "The buck stops at Pritzker's desk and at all of your desks. And it stops tonight."
An impassioned plea to the Oak Brook Terrace City Council to take down the red light cameras at Route 83 and 22nd Street, which opponents call "a tax on drivers" and a sneaky way for municipalities to help balance their budgets.
"It's an alternative tax that they are imposing on drivers," said Mark Wallace, who leads the group Citizens to Abolish Red Light Cameras. "Drivers and people should not be fooled by this to think that this disguise is something of safety."
SUBSCRIBE TO FOX 32 CHICAGO ON YOUTUBE
But Oak Brook Terrace Mayor Paul Esposito says he commends the judge's decision to have the cameras reactivated, for safety.
"It's never been about revenue for this city," said Mayor Esposito. "The city is financially strong. We've had major concerns. We've had fatalities at that intersection."
Opponents of the cameras disagree, saying both accidents and rear-end collisions have gone up since the cameras were installed.
"It depends on whose statistics you're using," countered Esposito.
Despite the bribes and corruption associated with these cameras in the past, the mayor made zero indication that he plans on deactivating them.
Editor's Note: This story initially stated the previous mayor of Oakbrook Terrace took bribes from the company that operates the red light cameras. That was factually inaccurate.