Charlottesville City Council adopted an ordinance in February 2023 to authorize speed cameras to be installed in school zones to deter people from driving above the limit. A year and a half later the city entered into a contract with Verra Mobility to operate six cameras in three locations.
According to Assistant City Manager Sam Roman, Verra Mobility reviews alleged violations and then forwards on evidence to the Charlottesville Police Department to create a summons. The city pays $25,000 a month for the service.
“We are enrolled in what is called, according to the contract, a flexible spending plan, which by the contract allows monies collected as fines to then be used as monthly payments for the cost of the system,” Roman said.
According to the contract, CPD cannot reject more than 10 percent of the alleged violations while the city remains within the flexible spending plan. The rejection rate has been about 2 percent. The city has been exploring different payment plans but first have to work through the financial details of the first year.
Two of the cameras are on Monticello Road on the approach to Summit Elementary School while four are on Cherry Avenue for both Tall Oaks Elementary School and Charlottesville Middle School. After a testing period, the cameras went live in October 2025 and billing began soon afterward according to budget director Krisy Hammill. Cameras only function when school is in session.
“In November of 2025, we received the first invoice in the amount of $25,504,” Hammill said. “As noted, the original agreement provided multiple payment options, but was silent as to which one was chosen.”
The FY2026 budget did not include any funds for this purpose and the city has been paying the invoices from the reserve fund.
“From October 2025 to April of 2026, we had collected just a little over $177,000, and those were admitted to the vendor to pay for the cameras,” Hammill said.
To get ahead of the issue before the cameras begin live again in August, Council was asked on July 20 to officially appropriate $320,000 in anticipated revenues in FY2027 to cover the costs.
The contract runs for five years.
School begins on August 12.
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