Albany County Settles School Zone Ticket Lawsuit
The county will pay the city $6,801 as both governments drop claims in a dispute over camera tickets.
Updated on Nov. 10, 2026 in City Hall
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Albany County and the City of Albany signed a settlement on October 16, 2025, ending the county's lawsuit over school zone speeding tickets. The city will mark 122 school zone speed camera tickets and two red light camera tickets as paid, and the case was dismissed with neither government accepting liability.
Why it matters
The dispute centered on whether an earlier offer to void a portion of the county's tickets was a binding agreement or a discretionary settlement offer. The outcome shows how municipal camera enforcement disputes between governments can be resolved through negotiated payments rather than court rulings.
The county's lawsuit alleged that City Treasurer Darius Shahinfar withdrew an offer to void 25% of the county's then-45 tickets, which the county had accepted. The settlement resolves 124 total tickets, with 122 school zone speed camera tickets and two red light camera tickets marked paid.
The players
Albany County
Albany County is the county government that brought the lawsuit against the City of Albany over school zone speed camera tickets.
City of Albany
The City of Albany is the municipal government that operates the school zone speed and red light cameras that generated the disputed tickets.
Darius Shahinfar
Darius Shahinfar is the Albany City Treasurer whose offers and rescinded counteroffer were central to the county's lawsuit.
The details
The county sued the city in August after City Treasurer Darius Shahinfar rescinded an April 2025 offer to void one in four of the county's tickets. Shahinfar rejected a $3,675 county check and withdrew a $5,000 counteroffer, arguing the arrangement was a discretionary offer that the county had not satisfied.
Timeline
April 2025: Shahinfar offered to void 25% of the county's tickets.
2024: The City of Albany installed its first school speed zone cameras.
March 2026: Shahinfar offered to settle for $5,000.
August 2026: Albany County sued the City of Albany.
October 16, 2025: The settlement was signed and the case dismissed.
Political Context
The dispute arose under New York's authorization for municipalities to operate school zone speed cameras, which allows cities to issue tickets to drivers. The settlement resolves a conflict between two local governments operating under that same state framework.
Drivers ticketed by Albany's school zone cameras may see their tickets handled under the settlement's terms, though the extraction does not specify how individual payments or disputes will be processed. Residents with questions about camera tickets should consult the city's official ticketing channels.
The takeaway
Municipal camera programs depend on clear agreements between governments, and disputes over informal offers can require litigation to resolve. Residents receiving camera tickets should keep records of any payment or settlement communications from their city.
Further reading
For more on how the city government handles disputes like this one, see City Hall coverage in Albany.
Source note: This article includes information reported by WAMC/Northeast Public Radio.
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