An earlier parking rate proposal sparked major pushback<\/a> from members of the downtown business community in June, who warned charging visitors more for parking could harm the local economy.<\/p>\n For downtown business owner Cache Bouren, the debate over parking rate increases is another sign that he no longer wants to invest in San Jose. He said the proposal was the \u201clast straw\u201d after years of frustration with city permitting and what he described as a lack of support for small businesses.<\/p>\n Bouren, who operates several downtown businesses including Haberdasher, said he plans to fulfill his existing leases, but wants to invest in other states where he said permitting and startup costs are lower. He said he eventually wants to hand one of his businesses to longtime employees.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t want to do this in San Jose anymore,\u201d Bouren told San Jos\u00e9 Spotlight. \u201cI don\u2019t want to have to fight to tell them what we need as the people in downtown that are driving the culture, driving the flavor of the town.\u201d<\/p>\n The rate increases are part of the city\u2019s broader effort to balance its ongoing budget deficit, which is expected to top $26 million this year<\/a>.<\/p>\n The parking plan proposed by staff had sought to soften the financial blow to businesses<\/a> and workers by spreading out the rate increases across five years<\/a> instead of imposing them all at once \u2014 and was expected to generate an additional $4 million in annual revenue to the city\u2019s parking fund by 2030. But the approved, scaled-down approach stemming from Tordillos\u2019 memo doesn\u2019t phase in the rates, and it\u2019s unclear how much revenue will be generated.<\/p>\n Tamiko Rast, vice chair of San Jose\u2019s Downtown Parking Board and president of the Japantown Business Association, said the fact that it took three attempts to approve increased parking rates shows the city needed to conduct more community outreach.<\/p>\n \u201cThe ending proposal struck a fair balance,\u201d Rast told San Jos\u00e9 Spotlight. \u201cBut it was clear that more work needs to be done to figure out where our parking fund monies have been spent and why are there not enough funds to repair aging infrastructure.\u201d<\/p>\n![\"In-line](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/interactive-321838904008.png\")
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