The Trumbull County Board of Elections agreed to put a referendum on unmanned speed cameras in the Newton Falls school zone on a ballot next year, but village council may repeal it as soon as Wednesday and consider legislation to hire a firm to operate the cameras.

Village Law Director Jeff Limbian wrote in a Sept. 8 legal opinion that council’s 5-0 vote on Aug. 6 to permit the unmanned speed cameras was “an administrative act by a legislative body and is not subject to referendum.”

But Jason Toth, an assistant county prosecutor, disagreed in his legal opinion to the board of elections.

At its Monday meeting, the board voted 4-0 to permit the referendum to appear on the November 2026 ballot. That would have put the village’s plans to use the cameras on hold for a year.

After the vote, Limbian said village council at its Wednesday meeting plans to vote on rescinding the Aug. 6 legislation. At that meeting, council also will consider an ordinance to sign a contract with Blue Line Solutions, a company that specializes in unmanned speed cameras, to run the village’s program in the school zone.

If the school zone legislation is repealed and the Blue Line contract is approved, it would render the referendum ballot issue moot because it would no longer exist.

“If council passes this new resolution you’ll see the installment of cameras,” Limbian said.

Blue Line of Chattanooga, Tennessee, operates unmanned cameras in Youngstown’s school zones.

In Youngstown, motorists caught going at least 11 mph over the speed limit and up to 14 mph over it face a civil penalty of $100. Those going 15 to 20 mph over the limit face a $125 penalty and those traveling faster than 20 mph over the limit face a $150 penalty. They do not get points on their driving record for the citations.

Because they are citations, there is nothing the city can do to enforce collections. Blue Line could turn over the unpaid citations to a collection agency, but that is highly unlikely.

Youngstown gets 65% of the citation fees with Blue Line keeping the remaining 35%.

While Youngstown received $1,841,809 from those paying the fines when the program operated in 2023 and during the 2024-25 school year, very little has been spent.

The inability to use the money is primarily because state law heavily restricts the spending of fines from unstaffed speed cameras in school zones. Youngstown can spend the citation collections for only what is considered school safety resources, such as improvements to school zones as well as crosswalks, lighting and safety measures near those buildings.

Limbian, a former Youngstown law director, said Newton Falls plans to initially place the unmanned cameras in school zones.

Police Chief John Barco wants the cameras to expand to other parts of the village, Limbian said.

“With limited manpower, there is the need for speed cameras,” he said.

Resident Jim Luonuansuu presented the referendum petition at the Sept. 3 council meeting with 162 signatures.

At Monday’s board of elections meeting, Luonuansuu argued the speed camera ordinance is legislative in nature and subject to referendum by citizens because it creates new law and policy.

In a Monday letter to the board, Luonuansuu wrote: “People have the right to vote on whether those (speed camera) programs should exist. Later steps, like picking a vendor or placing cameras, are administrative. But the decision to start the program belongs to the voters if they choose to challenge it.”