November 20th 2023.
Residents of the small town of Fenton, Louisiana, were shocked to find out that speeding tickets generated more than one million dollars in revenue. With the fiscal year ending in June 2022, the town brought in $1.3 million through ticketing – five times as high as the average Louisiana municipality its size.
Fenton is a small town, covering nearly 20 blocks with a city hall building, library, gas station, Dollar General, a church, and one small public housing complex. Visitors can get through the whole town in under a minute. Furthermore, if someone receives a ticket for speeding, the mayor of Fenton presides over the court case. Mike Holmes, the village attorney, says the mayor presides in a “neutral, impartial manner”, which is compliant with Louisiana law.
However, court records showed that the town may be biased in handling certain situations. Case summaries included notes from village employees and officers indicating a “bad attitude” towards drivers who don’t “fix” their tickets or reduce their charges. Other notes suggest the police chief and other administration play a part in charges being dismissed, but Holmes said tickets are only dismissed through him.
This has made the residents of Fenton furious. Mayor Eddie Alfred’s comment that “we need to write more traffic tickets” was met with anger from the residents. One resident, Cody Brock, says the speed limits in the city are annoying, especially when they randomly change from 45 to 50. Another resident, Danny Alfred, believes the city is setting up intentional traps for them and called for someone to be held accountable. He also mentioned that the money should be used to fix faulty water systems, open ditches, and provide a safe space for children to play. “We just spent $112,000 on a library with one computer and eight books, and not one person went through the doors. Nobody even work there, so what is it,” he said.
It is clear that the residents of Fenton are unhappy and want the town to be responsible with their money. If the town continues to issue speeding tickets to generate revenue, they should also consider the needs and wants of the people they serve.
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