Alexandria City Council on Tuesday (April 29) approved City Manager Jim Parajon’s proposal to increase metered parking fees and parking ticket fines.
Without discussion, City Council approved raising parking meter rates from $1.75 to $2.75 and parking ticket fines from $40 to $55. The approvals were part of Parajon’s $979.1 million Fiscal year 2027 budget, which Council approved Tuesday night without a real estate tax increase.
Increasing the metered rates is projected to generate $2.4 million in additional revenue to the city, and the parking citation increase is expected to generate $1.4 million, assuming an average of 90,000 citations are issued.
City Council approved the increases after torpedoing Parajon’s proposal for metered parking fees on Sundays, which was estimated to generate $726,000 in annual revenue.
After covering the $726,000 shortfall from removing the city manager’s Sunday parking fee proposal, the parking fee and fine increases are expected to add $329,000 to the city’s general fund. Mayor Alyia Gaskins said she wants the funds directed toward Alexandria City Public Schools or housing.
The city charges metered parking fees in Old Town along King Street and one to two blocks to the north and south, as well as in Carlyle, Eisenhower East, Potomac Yard and Oakville Triangle. The fee and fine changes will go into effect July 1.
