The debate on photo radar in Edmonton continued to heat up Wednesday, with City Council voting to consider creating a Photo Radar Fund in an attempt to curb claims photo radar in Edmonton is a ‘cash grab’.

“Makes it look like it comes to the bottom line because there’s more than we anticipated,” Mayor Don Iveson said.

Now, the surplus cash from photo radar tickets goes to the Office of Traffic Safety – but Council is looking at the idea of creating a specific fund in an effort to increase transparency.

“[Officials] have told us that they’re spending it on traffic safety,” Iveson said. “I have no reason not to believe them but for some reason the public doesn’t believe they were spending it on traffic initiatives.”

The City estimates it will collect about $40 million in fines this year, $10 million more than predicted.

A motion brought forward Wednesday would allow the City to allocate some of that extra revenue to community initiatives – but not all councilors agree with the idea.

“What we really should be talking about is that the information regarding people who are getting tickets [while driving] under 5 kilometres [per hour over the speed limit], and the change in standards that have been applied,” Councillor Mike Nickel said.

Councillor Michael Oshry said the added fund would only create more confusion.

“A the end of the day, council has to make these decisions and they have to be tough and sometimes people aren’t going to like them,” Oshry said. “Whether the money comes from taxes or radar I think it’s irrelevant.”

The issue will be put back before council during budget deliberations.

With files from Brenna Rose