The contractor handling the county's speed camera program was paid more than 81 percent of the fines collected by the county during the first seven months the cameras were operational.

Baltimore County issued more than $1.7 million in speed camera citations last year to motorists photographed speeding past 15 school zone cameras.

The 43,005 citations were issued between May 3 and Nov. 30—the first seven months of operation for the county's speed camera enforcement program. Of those citations issued, the county has collected $40 fines for 29,079 of the citations, or about 68 percent of those issued by the county, according to statistics released at the request of Patch.com.

In all, the county's gross receipts for the citations, which carry a $40 fine but no points, was more than $1.1 million. That figure does not include nearly $949,582 in fees paid to ACS State & Local Solutions, which operates and maintains the cameras for the county.

That makes the county's take on the cameras, as of Nov. 30, $213,578.

The amount paid to the county over the first seven months is equal to what the county projected it would raise from the program in the first five months of operation. The cost of the program is estimated to be $2.2 million annually , according to documents prepared by the county auditor.

Ellen Kobler, a county spokeswoman, said emergency vehicles and "people who just don't pay" account for the large majority of the nearly 14,000 citations for which the county has not collected fines.

Additional speed camera stats

First, just seven of the cameras accounted for nearly 83 percent of all citations issued. Only one of the cameras—the one installed in the 12000 block of Sulphur Spring Road near Arbutus Middle School—was installed in May.

That camera ranked 6th overall in number of citations issued.

The remaining six cameras were activated between July 23 and July 30.

Top seven speed cameras by total citations issued through Nov. 30, 2010.

Police Chief Jim Johnson told the County Council during his Dec. 14 confirmation hearing that the number of citations had decreased by 50 percent since the camera program began.

It is not clear from the initial figures released if that decline is consistent from site to site or a comparison of overall numbers.

What is clear is that the top six cameras in terms of average citations issued per day include units that have been operational for 130 days or less. The top seven cameras in terms of number of total citations issued were also the top seven in terms of citations issued per day (though in a slightly different order).

Average citations per day through Nov. 30 (averages rounded)

Note: This article has been updated to reflect the estimated cost of the cameras which is about $2.2 million annually and that the county paid ACS State & Local Solutions $11,995 monthly for each of the 15 cameras.