Paylock enhances parking booting services for city revenue growth

In the heart of Syracuse City Hall, the Finance Committee convened on June 3, 2025, to discuss significant updates regarding the city’s parking booting services. The meeting highlighted the partnership with Paylock, a vendor that has been instrumental in streamlining the city’s parking enforcement since 2008.

Committee members shared how Paylock's innovative software has transformed the way parking tickets are processed. Previously, city staff spent considerable time manually merging accounts linked to multiple license plates. Thanks to Paylock's investment in a custom software solution, this process is now automated, significantly increasing efficiency and boosting revenue from booted vehicles. In 2022 alone, the city collected approximately $733,000 from booting, with projections indicating that this figure could exceed $800,000 in 2025.

The discussion also addressed staffing concerns, as the city had previously relied on a single booting officer during standard business hours. Responding to these concerns, Paylock expanded its services by hiring an additional officer and extending operational hours to cover early mornings and evenings, which has further enhanced revenue collection.

However, the committee acknowledged the financial implications of these services. Currently, Paylock contributes between 19% to 22% of the city’s total parking ticket revenue, but the city also incurs operational costs amounting to 28% of the total collected. In 2023, this cost reached approximately $213,000, prompting the committee to explore ways to reduce expenses without imposing higher fees on residents.

One proposed solution involves adjusting the fee structure for credit card payments, shifting the 3.5% convenience fee from the city to the ticket payer. This change aims to alleviate some of the financial burden on the city’s budget. Additionally, the committee discussed the introduction of new late, lost, and damaged fees, which would increase the current $25 late fee to $50, further contributing to revenue.

As the meeting concluded, the committee expressed optimism about the potential enhancements to the booting services, emphasizing the importance of balancing operational costs with the need to keep fees manageable for constituents. The discussions underscored a commitment to improving city services while navigating the complexities of budgetary constraints.