ST. PETERS   •   The city won't have to pay anything to get out of its nine-year-old contract with an Arizona company to run its red-light cameras.

City spokeswoman Lisa Bedian said that's part of a termination agreement worked out this week with the firm, Redflex Traffic Systems.

Mayor Len Pagano announced at Thursday night's Board of Aldermen meeting that an agreement had been reached with Redflex.  He said negotiations began a few weeks ago.

He made the announcement after aldermen voted 5-0 to approve a resolution endorsing the termination. Two members were absent.

Bedian said the cameras, which the city turned off last September, will be taken down this summer after the formal end of the agreement July 1.  

Meanwhile, the city and other plaintiffs are continuing on principle their court challenge of the voter-approved St. Charles County charter amendment banning the cameras.

They contend that the ban, which was placed on the November ballot by the County Council, violates state laws giving municipalities exclusive control over regulating traffic within their borders.

Among the plaintiffs are two cities which haven't used red light cameras - O'Fallon and Lake Saint Louis.