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Thursday, August 6, 2026 ~ Volume 71 ~ Issue Number 42 ~ $1.00
County to Refund Drivers for Red Light Camera Fees By Matt Meduri Suffolk County’s Red Light Safety Program was authorized in 2009 and took effect in 2010. For fourteen years, Suffolk drivers faced 216 cameras at various intersections through western Suffolk. After a significant push from Hauppauge Republicans in the County Legislature, the program ended in December 2024. However, what remained was the legal ramifications of the administrative surcharge that was found to have been illegally applied. Beginning in 2013, the $30 administrative fee was tacked onto the $50 fine. A State appeals court ruled in 2024 that the fee was illegal because it violated a “plain reading” of the State law authorizing such programs. State law authorized a $50 fine and a $25 late fee. Now, the County has struck a $57.5 million class-action settlement that will repay drivers up to $36 for those administrative fees. $30 will be for the surcharge itself, $6 for interest. The County has agreed to pay up to $45 million, plus the admin costs of the program. The plaintiffs’ lawyers will receive $12.5 million. Reimbursements per driver could be closer to $20 if all eligible drivers apply on the website, which has not yet been rolled out.
A red light camera at Patchogue Holbrook Road and Furrows Road in Holbrook, December 2024 (Credit - Matt Meduri)
Town Reduces Adoption Fees for ‘Clear the Shelters’ Program By Matt Meduri “Don’t shop. Adopt,” so the animal-lover’s saying goes. According to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), 5.8 million cats and dogs entered shelters and rescues in 2025. 4.2 million were adopted into “loving homes” that year, but not enough were adopted to “significantly reduce” the shelter population nationwide. Unfortunately, almost 600,000 animals were euthanized in shelters in 2025, but it represents a decrease by 7% for dogs and 2% for cats compared to 2024. Euthanasia rates have dropped from 10% in 2019 to 8% in 2025. Shelters continue to see the strain, however, as they find that pets, especially large dogs, are spending more time in the shelters before being adopted. Continued on page 10
FULL STORIES ON:
County Bans Sale of Synthetic Kratom Page 5
Carpenter’s Corner Page 10
2nd Annual Oyster Jamboree, August 15th Page 12