The chairman of the Jefferson Parish Council is proposing that the thousands of motorists who received $110 citations from traffic cameras in the parish be given refunds.

Chris Roberts has introduced a refund resolution that the council is scheduled to consider next Wednesday.

The parish is sitting on nearly $20 million dollars in traffic camera citation revenue that has been held in escrow since the program, which featured cameras at 11 intersections, was launched in 2007. All money collected on behalf of the parish and the company that operated the cameras was placed in escrow as lawsuits over the program were litigated.

The program was suspended in late January 2010.

The company that operated the cameras, Redflex of Phoenix, Arizona, recently admitted that it appears its contract to operate cameras in the city of Chicago was secured as a result of a $2 million dollar bribery scheme.  The contract was rescinded by the city and two top Redflex officials, the president and chief financial officer have resigned.