Recently, the College Station red light camera saga seems to have a new twist every day. For now, the city's nine cameras are still catching red light runners, but Monday evening the city council said it wants the cameras to come down.

In a specially called meeting Monday evening about the cameras, the city council voted to begin removing them as soon as possible. The council instructed City Manager Glenn Brown to begin terminating the red light camera program. The motion was carried unanimously, 6-0. Councilman Larry Stewart was not at the meeting.

However, there are a few variables standing in Brown's way. Tuesday will mark two weeks since the cameras were voted down in a 52-48 percent vote.

The following Monday, on November 9, two College Station residents sued to stop the city from removing them, challenging the legality of the petition that put the cameras on the ballot.

On Wednesday November 11, hours before the cameras were supposed to go off, a visiting judge granted a temporary restraining order and injunction and kept the cameras operating. The same day City Manager Glenn Brown announced he thought the city of College Station should give the red light camera company, American Traffic Solutions, a 60-day notice that the contract would be cancelled.

Monday evening, November 16, the official mandate to do that came from the council.

The hearing on the lawsuit is Friday. Mayor Ben white said he didn't think Brown will have formally notified American Traffic Solutions by then.

In May, the council voted to extend it's contract with ATS for another 20 years. White said he didn't believe College Station will have to fulfill the entire contract.

Despite Brown's claim that the city would not spend money for outside attorneys to the suit, it now appears the city is doing just that.

November 10, Brown told News Three the city would not pay for outside legal help as it had in other high profile cases. However, according to Jay Socol, Public Communications Director, the city hired an attorney the following day. When asked about the issue Monday evening, November 16, Socol issued the following statement:

"I did receive confirmation that City Attorney Harvey Cargill hired outside counsel on Nov. 11 to defend the City of College Station and the 52% of those voting in the Nov. 3 election. Bob Heath of the Austin law firm of Bickerstaff Heath Delgado Acosta LLP will represent the city. Mr. Heath has worked for the City of College Station on numerous occasions."