The Nassau Legislature has voted to approve a controversial fee on traffic tickets.

Lawmakers voted 11-8 Monday afternoon to enact the fee in an effort to close the county's budget gap.

As News 12 has reported, lawmakers voted last month to approve a county budget that contained a major budget hole, and at the time had shelved the vote on the so-called public safety fee.

County Executive Ed Mangano had originally proposed a $105 fee on all traffic tickets issued in the county, and he said it would raise $64 million in his budget proposal. But the Republican-controlled Legislature said it would cut the fee to $55 in an effort to raise about $35 million.

Republican Legislator Denise Ford broke with the GOP majority to vote against the fee.

Democratic Minority Leader Kevan Abrahams argues that the fee is unfair to taxpayers and will fall short of balancing the budget.

"It's bad for Nassau County taxpayers, it's bad for motorists and it's bad for Nassau County to be budgeting in this fiscal manner," he says.

AAA says the fee sets a bad precedent.

"It removes the connection between traffic enforcement and traffic safety. When someone gets pulled over on the side of the road they should think, 'I screwed up and I need to do better next time,' not that the county just wants to make a little bit of money," says Alec Slatky, of AAA.

Presiding Officer Norma Gonsalves issued a statement saying, "This budget is balanced like it was last year and the year before. And the [Democratic] minority has presented nothing."

But critics say the funds raised by the fees won't plug the projected $77 million budget gap.

On Monday night, lawmakers also passed a budget amendment offering amnesty to Nassau businesses with unpaid property taxes. Those owners will be offered a 25 percent discount on what is owed.

The proposed budget still must be approved by NIFA, the county's fiscal watchdog agency. That meeting is scheduled for Nov. 29.