Albany County’s attempt to weasel out of speeding tickets incurred by its employees is so egregious and indefensible that we’re loath to spend much time addressing it here. Any additional criticism would risk stating the obvious.

So let’s instead address Albany’s role in this story, focusing on this question: Why is the city cutting overly generous deals on tickets?

In case you missed the story by the Times Union’s Patrick Tine, here’s a recap: County employees racked up more than $7,000 in fines for speeding through school zones in the city. The speeders, driving county-owned vehicles, were caught by cameras traveling at least 30 miles per hour, which is 10 mph over the posted limit around schools.   

The county, to its discredit, has balked at paying the tickets and has attempted to get away with paying roughly half of what’s due. Again, egregious and indefensible. Enough said. 

Meanwhile, though, the city’s treasurer, Darius Shahinfar, offered the county a $5,000 settlement that’s roughly similar, he says, to what he would provide to any resident or entity in a similar circumstance. To our eyes, that’s far too magnanimous. Why shouldn’t the county pay its full share? Why do employees who endanger children by blowing past schools deserve a break?

Easy answer: They don’t. 

This isn’t an argument against compassion. We’ll concede that there are circumstances under which the ticketed deserve mercy, particularly for drivers who experienced medical emergencies or might be unable to pay their fines. But that mercy should come on a case-by-case basis and address individual circumstances. 

It should not be granted as a blanket deal for corporations and governments with many vehicles on the road and the ability to pay. County government does not deserve a friends ’n’ family discount. Nor do its employees, who according to Deputy County Executive Michael McLaughlin have engaged in an “eye-opening” amount of speeding.

Such recklessness should not be excused or forgiven, especially by a city that faces a significant and growing budget deficit. Albany needs every dollar it can recoup, and county employees should pay what they owe. 

It’s not even clear how the settlement would work. While Albany County Comptroller Sue Rizzo insists employees who received tickets would ultimately be required to reimburse the county for the citations, her claim raises questions over how a settlement would be applied. Would every lead-footed worker get a per-ticket discount? Would some speedsters pay nothing while others paid the full fine? Would the county pocket the savings?

Those questions are apparently moot, because Mr. Shahinfar says the county, in all its hubris, wouldn’t even agree to pay his settlement — let us pause for another “egregious and indefensible” — and therefore owes the full amount. We urge the treasurer to stick to his guns and to restrain his apparently generous instincts in similar situations in the future.

If you speed through a school zone in Albany, you should expect to pay. No matter who employs you.