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Mayor Martin Chavez's speedy decision to shut down Albuquerque's red-light cameras tosses the fate of the city's long-debated traffic program under the governor's pen.

The city is awaiting Gov. Bill Richardson's decision on whether to veto a bill passed by the Legislature that siphons much of the revenue generated from the program to pay off bonds used to build the Metro Courthouse.

Chavez says the legislation takes too much revenue from the city, meaning the burden of operating the program — which uses video cameras to catch red-light runners and employs radar- and camera-equipped vans to catch speeders — could be passed on to taxpayers or result in other program cuts.

By suspending the controversial program Thursday, the mayor handed Richardson a political hot potato, but that's not likely to faze the governor, said state Rep. Henry "Kiki" Saavedra, an Albuquerque Democrat.

"One thing about the governor is, the governor doesn't think that way," Saavedra said. "When you're playing politics with the governor, that's the major leagues."

Richardson, who vetoed a similar piece of legislation last year, has said he's inclined to sign the bill.

state Sen. Michael Sanchez, a Belen Democrat, was the sponsor of a bill that would take revenue from Albuquerque's red-light cameras to pay Metro Court bonds.

Saavedra said all corners of the state contribute money toward the bonds. The city's money, he said, came from traffic tickets issued by officers.

But since the red-light camera program was enacted in 2005, the city hasn't paid its share and the state general fund has had to pick up the city's slack to the tune of around $900,000, he said.

"I have been putting money in to be able to pay the fair share the city of Albuquerque should be paying," Saavedra said.

Chavez contends that's not true.

"The Albuquerque Police Department is writing more tickets today then ever before," he said. "The tickets we captured by the technology are tickets that otherwise wouldn't be caught."

From the start of the red-light program Chavez has battled the charge that it was more about generating revenue than public safety. While his contention with Saavedra's bill is about money, he maintains that public safety is still his primary concern.

Removing too much revenue from the program means the city would take a $1.4 million financial hit and would be unable to offer services such as the speed vans that monitor school zones. Diverting officers to that job, as Chavez did Friday, will either cost taxpayers money or result in program cuts, he said.

Chavez supported the idea of taking some money from the program when Richardson first floated it at the start of the legislative session.

"We did not know he (Richardson) would want to take the money to operate it," Chavez said. "That's what he did."

Chavez's decision to immediately shut it down baffled other city officials.

City councilors, who had spent recent months making tweaks to the program, including passing lower fines earlier this month, spent part of a study session Friday questioning the decision.

"The council has taken a lot of heat about this program. We spent a whole lot of time modifying it and lowering the fines and changing the hearing process — doing everything we could to make it as fair as possible," said Councilor Don Harris. "I believe there's a sense among the council that we sure wish we were consulted before the program was just turned off."

Chavez said it's possible the program could be turned back on once the city evaluates the consequences of both the governor's eventual action on the bill, and the effect of turning the cameras off.

Saavedra, though, wonders whether the mayor should have taken more time before making a decision.

"What he's got to do is just settle down, calm down, and then think of what he wants to do," Saavedra said. "I think he overreacted."