Terry Boone

“The red-light cameras hit me personally three times. I’m pretty conscious of these things and I really try to pay attention, especially in that little corridor in Waukegan, the ‘trap’ if you will.”

“So this last one was just the icing on the cake. I saw the video of the infraction via their online portal and I could see myself pull up to the line. I started behind and pulled up into the intersection so I could see if there was traffic coming. After the traffic was through, I took the turn and then I found out I got a $100 ticket for it.”

“I own three companies located in Illinois. One company is called Team Management Properties. We’re rental property service providers. We own and manage about 120 plus units in the Zion, Winthrop Harbor, Pleasant Prairie and the Kenosha area with our staff, as well as in other states. That’s my primary business.”

“I went back to the office, and I decided we would not spend a dime in Waukegan. We’re not getting any supplies or materials. We’re not using any services there. I didn’t want anybody even driving there if we could help it because of these tickets.”

“My staff travels in the area to do business and with 120 apartments, we spend a lot of money on building supplies, appliances and other services in the area, like plumbing and carpenters.”

“At this point, my three daughters are all grown so I have the option to go where I want to go to and spend my money where I want to. And it’s not going to be in Illinois if I know my drivers are going to end up paying for red-light tickets they wouldn’t get elsewhere.”

“Instead, I’m going to go somewhere else. If I need to go across the border, I will, and I know there are a lot of people out there who feel the same way. They’re just not saying anything about it yet.”

“In most cases, if I’ve done something wrong, I’ll own up to it and pay the fine. But this just seems to be a real money grab. I’ve seen these programs before.”

“I’m old enough to remember when they implemented the Tollway system in Illinois. That was supposed to be a temporary measure to pay for the interstate and it was supposed to end in 40 years. We know how that turned out.”

“I don’t believe red-light cameras are about improving safety. Most people don’t even know they’re there until the flash. I would understand if they had bigger, more visible signs warning drivers, but I think that would defeat the purpose of a city putting them up in the first place: to accumulate more money from residents.”

“I think cities are going to lose business by operating programs like this, especially with all the perceived corruption.”

“Local trust in these government is low as it is. Once a city starts bringing in millions of dollars a year dinging people for minor offenses, that’s going to have an effect on people’s interest in going and spending money there. I’m one example.”

“If we need materials. We’re not going to the Menards or Home Depot in Gurnee anymore. We’re going north into Wisconsin and our tax dollars are going there, too.”

“I wish more people would contact their local government when they have a problem with what they’re doing. We can’t sit on our hands and wait for somebody else to do it. Nothing gets done if nobody says anything.”

“You know, if one Terry Boone complains about the cameras, governments like Zion and Waukegan will just keep doing what they do. But if 30 or 40 of us come together, we can push back when they do something wrong and hopefully, make it right.”

Terry Boone
Owner, Team Management Properties
Winthrop Harbor, Illinois