City of West Palm Beach Increased Parking Rate Repeal.
May 11, 2022
Below was written by Rodney Mayo in an attempt to keep residents apprised of the major change to the parking rate increase that will effect every resident who owns an automobile. There is more to the story and I ask readers to take the time to read the entire piece.
Also included is a petition that will be presented to the City Commission in the hopes they will not approve the new parking rates.
The City’s motto “We Want To Hear From You” please take them at their word and sign the petition. If not you——who?
Residents who have signed the petition (Reason for Signing) have left comments on why they have signed and interesting points were made.
“The City of West Palm Beach passed a sweeping parking rate increase, the largest in the history of our city at the commission meeting on March 23, 2022. Despite the parking department showing an annual profit of 2.5 million dollars last year, the adopted increases include 24/7 enforced parking, flat rate weekend parking, added rates on Sunday, increased event rates, increased monthly rates, increased penalties and a 300% increase in metered parking rates. The one benefit the City claims of the new program is 50% discounted hospitality employee parking. Unfortunately, they do not disclose there are no spaces available at this rate in most all the garages.
The City Commission adopted these new rates after giving less than 48 hours’ notice to the public. The merchants and residents were not given the opportunity to participate in the discussion. The City references a zoom meeting on March 3 of 2021, over one year prior, as sufficient notice and opportunity for merchants and residents to be a part of the process. That zoom meeting comprised of 5 city employees and no merchants or residents.
These new parking rates will hurt the already struggling businesses who are finally rebounding after 2 years of the pandemic. Residents who do not have assigned parking spaces will bear an additional cost of $300 per month in a time of skyrocketing rental rates and inflation. These new parking rates will make the City of West Palm Beach the costliest city to park in all of South East Florida, less a few special districts in South Beach”
https://www.change.org/p/city-of-west-palm-beach-increased-parking-rate-repeal
The end!