Macon-Bibb Mayor Lester Miller offers $100 per speed camera ticket issued outside legal hours
Macon-Bibb County Mayor Lester Miller is offering to personally pay $100 for each valid school zone speed camera citation issued outside of permitted school hours.
MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) — Macon-Bibb County Mayor Lester Miller is offering to personally pay $100 for each valid school zone speed camera citation issued outside of permitted school hours.
In a Facebook post Wednesday night, Miller responded to critics questioning the timing of citations, writing, “Here is a personal challenge to anyone who has made a statement regarding ticketing after permitted school hours. I will pay $100 per citation that was issued outside of the permitted school hours in Macon.”
Miller said he would use a $1,000 campaign contribution disclosed in 2023 from an employee of the school safety camera company, and match that amount with his own money, for a total of up to $2,000.
“This offer does not include citations that have been dismissed,” Miller wrote.
He invited people to deliver or mail copies of their citations to City Hall at 700 Poplar Street in Macon.
The offer comes days after the Bibb County Sheriff’s Office announced it would no longer approve school zone speed camera citations. Sheriff David Davis made the announcement March 19 in a Facebook video, saying, “We should allow the legislative process to move through the necessary steps to bring clarity to the laws governing these camera operations.”
The sheriff’s office later clarified in a statement that all citations issued before 6:30 p.m. on March 19 remain valid: “As of 6:30 p.m. on March 19, 2025, there will be no School Zone Speeding Citations from School Zone Speed Detection Cameras that will be approved by the Bibb County Sheriff’s Office, at this time. All citations issued before are valid citations.”
Miller has defended the cameras as legal and constitutional, saying they operate within the limits set by state law. He previously announced on March 17 that the county would scale back camera enforcement to school arrival and dismissal times, writing in a Facebook post that he intended to proceed with limited camera operation during arrival and dismissal times only, unless the legislature dictates otherwise.
How do the cameras work?
When active, the school zone speed cameras enforce the speed limit only on school days, operating from one hour before school starts until one hour after dismissal. During this enforcement window, cameras may issue citations whether or not the school zone lights are flashing.
Drivers receive a citation if they exceed the posted speed limit by more than 10 miles per hour. That includes exceeding the reduced school zone speed limit by 11 mph or more while lights are flashing, or exceeding the normal posted limit by 11 mph or more during the enforcement window.
The first citation costs $100, and subsequent ones cost $150. According to Macon-Bibb County, fine revenue is used to support local law enforcement or public safety initiatives. These citations do not appear on a driver’s record and do not impact insurance points.
All citations are reviewed by the Bibb County Sheriff’s Office to ensure compliance with Macon-Bibb County Code.
The future of the program remains uncertain, with two bills under consideration in the Georgia General Assembly. House Bill 225, introduced by Rep. Dale Washburn (R-Macon), would ban the cameras statewide. Another bill, sponsored by Rep. Alan Powell (R-Hartwell), would limit their enforcement hours and require half the revenue to support school safety efforts.
“These camera companies know if they can show a local government how they can rake a lot of money in, then they of course are making money in the process,” Washburn told 41NBC in a previous interview. “I believe our system is being abused, and I think something needs to be done about it.”
Washburn’s bill passed the Georgia House and is awaiting action in the Senate.
