White Plains Council Votes to Increase Parking Fees, Fines
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The White Plains Common Council voted unanimously last week to increase the cost of parking on the street and in city garages.
Despite receiving a petition earlier in the Dec. 11 meeting containing 170 signatures opposing higher parking fees, the council opted to side with recommendations made by Commissioner of Parking Kevin Livingston, who maintained the time was overdue for the city to charge more for parking to raise revenue for needed maintenance.
“All of these increases I think were necessary at this time, maybe even overdue,” said Councilman John Martin. “The costs should be borne by the users of these facilities.”
All non-permit parking will increase by 25 cents, resulting in an hourly rate of $1.25 in the outlying areas and garages in the downtown, and an hourly rate of $1.50 per hour for on-street parking in the downtown.
Overtime violations in off-street parking structures will double from $10 to $20.
The last time rates increased in the outlying areas was 2007, and in garages was 2013. On-street parking in the downtown hasn’t gone up since 2018. The last time violations increased was in 2011.
“It is very hard to raise rates like this. None of us want to do it. I’m not thrilled,” said Council President Justin Brasch. “The money doesn’t grow on trees. We all have to do our fair share. We have needs in our garages and we have to pay for them.”
“We need to manage parking. Parking is a shared resource,” said Mayor Thomas Roach. “Money that doesn’t come in from parking comes from property taxes. It’s not anything anyone looks forward to.”
Other council members said the additional money the city will receive will be reinvested into the parking system.
“We’ve wrestled with this. There’s a lot of things to be said pro and con about raising parking rates,” said Councilwoman Victoria Presser. “This city deserves parking garages as stellar as the city itself. Right now the parking garages need a lot of love to make them functioning and welcoming. This does not come cheap.”
Meanwhile, the council did not go along with Livingston’s suggestion to expand downtown enforcement hours from 9 p.m. to midnight.
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