St. Petersburg City Council voted to push through parking fine increases and permit fee hikes at a Thursday meeting. Most tickets would jump by $15. Permits for residents who park near their homes would cost twice as much.
Council members approved the first reading. Nobody opposed it. A public hearing and final vote happen on Oct. 15.
The penalty for an expired meter or pay station would leap from $17.50 to $32.50 under the ordinance. Most other violations would climb from $30 to $45, which includes blocking a driveway, double parking, abandoning a vehicle in a fire lane, and parking on a sidewalk or crosswalk.
Drivers who park in permit-only areas without authorization would face a $65 ticket, up from $50. The same increase applies to prohibited trailer parking. The fine for occupying a space reserved for people with disabilities would remain at $250.
The proposed changes reach past fines. Residential parking permits would double from $15 to $30 per year, while monthly downtown permits would rise from $20 to $25.
The charge for removing a parking boot would also double, from $25 to $50. Downtown drivers who buy a permit each month would see their total cost swell from $240 to $300 per year.
The ordinance would expand who qualifies for permits among some residents who live just outside permit boundaries. Someone living within one block of a permit area could get approval if the location and conditions of their property require them to park inside the permit area.
College students living in a permit zone would gain another method to prove residency. Instead of changing their driver’s license and vehicle registration to a local address, they could provide a student identification card and documentation such as a lease or utility bill.
Permits would stay valid for one year from their date of issuance rather than expiring with the calendar year. The city could also issue permits in a different way — through screens instead of windshield stickers. Residents with unpaid parking citations would not qualify for a permit until those debts are settled.
The proposed increases follow an Aug. 28 review by the council’s Budget, Finance, and Taxation Committee. In a memo accompanying the ordinance, Transportation and Parking Management Director Evan Mory said the changes match the city budget approved Sept. 17, according to St. Pete Catalyst.
No one registered to speak on the item at the meeting. Councilmembers Gina Driscoll and Brandi Gabbard were absent.
The increases aren’t yet in effect. If the council adopts the ordinance on Oct. 15, it would take effect under the city’s standard approval process, which gives the mayor an opportunity to veto legislation.