"Here's Your Ticket. Oh… and Here's Your Gasoline Bill."
With fuel expenses that rival Joan Rivers' botox bill, a lot of smaller towns are feeling the budget crunch. USA TODAY reports the Holly Springs, Georgia, police department is doing something about it. No, they're not switching to biofuel or putting their officers on bicycles. Starting July 1, if you're stopped for speeding in this Atlanta suburb, you'll be charged a $12 "fuel surcharge" for the gas the po-po used to catch you. (They didn't say if they'd increase the surcharge by the number of cars used to run you down.) Police chief Ken Ball expects the surcharge to add between $19.5k and $26k to the city's coffers. Looks like Atlanta's next; Monday, the city council approved a proposal to add $10 to $15 to tickets for speeding and other moving violations within their borders. Don't smirk if you live elsewhere, though– Ball says he's been "inundated" by calls from other cities wanting a copy of the ordinance.
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So if you win the case in court does the taxpayer get stuck with the bill?
So they're paying for gas that would be used regardless of if the cops actually pulled any one over? I can't imagine this would stand up to a direct legal challenge; The police and cities will not be able to justify charging those that get pulled over for the gas that would have been pumped regardless of if they actually pulled anyone over. Its like asking taxpayers to pay for something that they've already paid for.
Freaking Nazi's.
If fuel prices should drop below the price they used when figuring their fuel budget - meaning they won't have to spend as much as they projected - will they refund the difference to the taxpayers? (Pardon me while I roll on the floor in fits of laughter at my own insane comment.)