Councilman Chris Roberts wants the cameras catching red light runners in Jefferson Parish off-line until he gets answers to questions he has about who is making money off the tickets. Roberts explains, "There is a company that is responsible for installing the cameras and managing the program. They are entitled to a percentage of the violations, but it has come to our attention that there are other individuals that are possibly being paid."
Roberts asked Parish Attorney Tom Wilkinson to send a letter to Redflex Traffic Systems, the company contracted to operate the camera program, inquiring about any paid lobbyists profiting from the program. In Redflex's response, the company points out it does not believe it is required to provide that information, but disclosed a $45 thousand dollar flat fee to lobbyist Courson Nickel and compensation of 3.2% of Redflex's earnings from its Louisiana contracts to sales consultant Bryan Wagner.
Jefferson Parish attorney Tom Wilkinson explains the parish does have an ordinance requiring those seeking professional service contracts to disclose subcontractors, but there is no ordinance on the books requiring the same disclosures with contracts awarded through the R-F-P or Request For Proposal bid process. Wilkinson concludes, "At the time it was awarded, there was no ordinance on the books that required Redflex to make disclosure of its sub-consultants."
Councilman Roberts other concern relates to percentage earnings, "It is not unusual for companies both on the federal, state or local level to bring in the resources of a lobbying firm, however, rarely do you see that an individual is entitled to receive a percentage of the profits." The man earning a percentage off Redflex's contract, Bryan Wagner, tells FOX 8 that earning flat fees or percentages are equally standard.
Rafael Goyeneche with the Metropolitan Crime Commission says others back that claim adding, "I don't hold myself out as an expert on that, but I did speak to a lobbyist and he expressed to me that there is no prohibition, nothing unethical with a lobbyist taking a percentage of a contract in lieu of a fee." Goyeneche suggests the parish follow the state's lead. He explains, "Whether you are lobbying the state in the legislative branch or the executive branch, you have to register and declare who your lobbyists are." He says Jefferson Parish could go a step further and require lobbyists to disclose how much they would earn.
An ordinance is expected to be read into summary at Wednesday's meeting to extend the same disclosure requirements to all parish contracts, regardless of the process used to award them.
