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YOUNGSTOWN - With Youngstown long struggling to spend money collected from those caught by unmanned cameras speeding in school zones, city council is being asked to set aside $1.5 million of it for safety improvements near various schools.
It is, by far, the largest financial request ever made of the fund, which collected $2,676,735 for the city as of August.
However, a specific plan still needs to be created for the $1.5 million request.
Charles Shasho, the city's deputy director of public works, said, "We don't have a scope of work yet. But it will be sidewalks, handicapped ramps, better school signage and maybe lighting in school zones. We're focusing on properties around schools."
Council will vote on an ordinance, sponsored by Mayor Derrick McDowell, to appropriate $1.5 million from the fund and authorize the board of control to "enter into all professional service agreements to provide planning and construction engineering services as well as to advertise for proposals and enter into a contract with the lowest and best bidder for safety improvements to various school zones throughout the city."
A separate ordinance, also sponsored by McDowell, seeks to authorize the board of control to sign a contract not to exceed $58,000 with Motorola Solutions Inc. to "purchase portable radios that will be lent to the Youngstown city schools for the school resource offices to have the ability to communicate directly with the city of Youngstown Police Department."
The biggest issue the city has with the speeding citation money from unmanned cameras in school zones is there are state restrictions on how it can be spent.
To date, the city has spent $261,397 from the money collected from those who paid speed camera citation fees. That's less than 10% of the money of the $2,676,735 paid to the city from those cited for speeding in school zones.
Currently, most of the money, $184,384, paid for two annual maintenance agreements with SpotShotter, a company whose technology is able to detect and locate gunfire in real time. The city's law department determined in December 2024 that it was a permissible use for the speed camera funds.
The city also paid $51,522 in December 2024 to Blue Line to purchase a surveillance trailer with two cameras with the rest of the money going towards improvements and maintenance to school zone flasher units and signage.
The law department in December 2024 stopped a planned $211,251 expenditure to buy three SUVs for the city school district, determining it wasn't permissible under state law.
Also in December 2024, city council voted to spend up to $56,000 of the speed camera money to buy three metal detectors the city would own and permit the school district to use when classes were in session. The purchase, which also raised questions, was never made.
Cameras are in use on school days from the time kids head to class until 6 p.m. They aren't used on weekends, during the summer and on days when class is not in session.
During the two hours in the morning that kids go to school, and the two hours when they leave, the speed limit in those zones is 20 mph. In between and after school ends, the speed limit is 25 and 35 mph depending on the location.
Motorists caught going at least 11 mph over the speed limit and up to 14 mph over it face a civil penalty of $100. Those going 15 to 20 mph over the limit face a $125 penalty and those traveling faster than 20 mph over the limit face a $150 penalty. They do not get points on their driving record for the citations.
There is nothing the city can do to force people to pay the fees. Blue Line Solutions, which runs the speed camera program for Youngstown and keeps 35% of the money collected, could turn over the unpaid citations to a collection agency, but that is highly unlikely.
The collection rate has been low - around 35% - for those issued citations.
The speed cameras in 21 school zones in the city issued 56,259 citations between August 2025 and the end of July, according to the city clerk of court's office.
That's up more than 50% from the 37,367 citations issued during the previous school year: August 2024 to July 2025.
The city started using the unstaffed cameras in school zones in phases beginning Feb. 21, 2023, and were shut off when classes ended between May 18 and June 2, 2023, depending on when schools, which includes private and charter schools, closed that year. Because of a disagreement between the city administration and the city court over hearings on contested speed citations, the program stalled for a year and didn't return until August 2024.
During that brief operating period in 2023, the cameras issued 22,424 citations.
That's a total of 116,050 citations issued since the cameras were installed in school zones.
The cameras were turned on again Sept. 1, when school started.
The city has a contract with Blue Line of Chattanooga, Tennessee, to run the camera program. Of the money collected, the city gets 65% with Blue Line receiving the remaining 35%.
The city has collected $2,676,735 since the cameras were turned on with Blue Line receiving $1,441,319 as of August.