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Frederick city motorists will soon be showing up in pictures, but not all will be smiling.

The Frederick Board of Aldermen voted Thursday to approve speed cameras in school zones to address what leaders and police officials say is the most prevalent of concerns among residents.

The board voted 4-1 to pass an ordinance to adopt the cameras, formally called "Speed Monitoring Systems," which were made available for use in school and work zones throughout Maryland via state legislation that went into effect last month.

Alderman C. Paul Smith (R) opposed the ordinance.

The vote was consistent with the majority of aldermen's sentiments that nabbing speeders who travel more than 12 mph above the speed limit within a half-mile radius of a school warrants the $40 penalty the law allows. The cameras can be activated from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday.

The police have not set a date to begin using the cameras. They must first solicit bids and choose a vendor, continue collecting data for potential sites, and educate judges and prosecutors on the program.

The city's legal department and the Frederick Police Department presented the legislation to aldermen last month. The aldermen also heard testimony from the Montgomery Police Department — which since 2007 has been the only county in Maryland using the cameras — about the effectiveness of the program.

Representatives from Montgomery — which has 60 speed cameras, 22 of which are in school zones — reported that within the first 12 months of the program, the county saw a 28 percent decrease in collisions within a half-mile radius of speed camera locations. The county also generated about $12.5 million in its first year of implementation.

But Smith, who works in Montgomery County and has been critical of that county's implementation, said he believed there weren't enough safeguards against the cameras becoming cash cows because the law does not specify the number of cameras the city can use.

He said he was in favor of a handful of mobile cameras, or a small amount of fixed ones to start.

"When I saw the way that Montgomery County was going, I had some concerns," Smith said. "They have made a lot of money. I'm not interested in raising funds from this. ... I think a minimal amount can have a maximum effect."

He also took issue with the fact that the ordinance places the chief of police and public works director control the program, not the mayor and Board of Aldermen.

Alderwoman Donna Kuzemchak (D) responded that since the program wouldn't be implemented until the next administration, the details were not the current board's primary responsibility. "To me, it's simply enabling legislation to help the next group," she said.

Mayor W. Jeff Holtzinger (R) said that no matter what, the cameras will make money. "I hope we're able to stick to the safety aspect of it ... but we are going to make revenue on these cameras because speeding is a problem," he said.

Proponents of the speed cameras pointed out that state legislation has safeguards against the program becoming a fundraiser.

"There's a lot of public misperception out there," said Frederick Police Department Lt. Steve Tuel, who will oversee the department's implementation of the program. "People believe that we're going to put them where we can make the most revenue, and that's not the intent of the statute, and that's not the intent of the agency. This is about public safety."

The law mandates that citations not exceed $40, and that any revenue collected be used for public safety initiatives, including the cost of the program itself. It also requires jurisdictions to give the state any speed camera revenue that is 10 percent more than that same year's budget.

The city's fiscal 2010 budget is $79.2 million, so if the city had speed cameras this year, it would have to give the state any revenue above $7.92 million.

Additionally, in the first 30 days of the cameras' use, speeders would be issued warnings.

Tuel also offered the comparison that an officer conducting radar along city streets could issue a $90 ticket to speeders going more than 12 mph over the speed limit, that would also carry a two-point assessment on their driving records. Those nabbed by the cameras would not have any points assessed on their driving records.

More importantly, Tuel said, the intent of the cameras is public safety.

The issue of speed is among the top complaints at all of the city's Neighborhood Advisory Council meetings, the department reported, and officers wrote about 2,600 speeding citations between July 1, 2008, and June 30, 2009.

Tuel said the department has been collecting data from Speed Sentry boxes — devices that monitor and display the speed of vehicles — that are placed in school zones around the city to scout ideal locations.

In the last few weeks, the department has been collecting data from five locations, including Hayward Road, Schifferstadt Boulevard, Motter Avenue and Market and Madison streets. Most of the city's center section is within a half-mile radius of schools.

There are 19 potential sites, Tuel said, and the department would determine which of the city's 15 public schools and four private schools would be the first placement sites. He said the city's seven elementary schools would be a priority.

Tuel said the department will ensure that the implementation of the cameras is as smooth, transparent and effective. He said the department is not looking to catch people off guard, as the location of the cameras will be publicized in the newspaper, on the city and police department Web sites, and on street signs.

"This is not a ‘gotcha' kind of thing," Tuel said. "This is about voluntary compliance."

E-mail Erica L. Green at egreen@gazette.net.