Yonkers committee votes to send higher parking fines back to rules after debate on enforcement

The Yonkers City Council Legislation and Codes Committee voted to send three proposed ordinances raising fines for several parking violations back to the Rules Committee after members discussed enforcement capacity and technical issues.

Corporation Counsel Matt Gallagher told the committee the measures would increase the fine for double parking from $90 to $150, raise the penalty for parking in driveways from $50 to $100 and increase the fine for parking in front of a fire hydrant from $70 to $125. "It should be noted... there is an additional $15 state mandated charge on top of this," Gallagher said.

The move matters because council members described the offenses as quality-of-life concerns and said stronger penalties could support enforcement. Councilman Mike Breen, the council minority leader, called repeated double parking a "quality of life" problem and recounted an anecdote about a driver claiming to have "double parking lights on." Breen urged higher fines to deter the conduct.

But some members questioned whether raising fines alone would change behavior. Councilman Anthony Maranti said he opposed increasing the double-parking fine and described the change as appearing "more like a money grab" if enforcement remains the primary problem. Maranti supported higher fines for driveway and curb-cut violations, which he described as creating immediate safety and access issues for neighbors.

Members also asked whether the city's ticketing software can support progressive penalties for repeat offenders. Gallagher said progressive fines are technically possible but raised a legal question about increasing fines before a prior violation has been adjudicated. He recommended raising the fines across the board rather than adopting a progressive scale until that legal issue is resolved.

Committee members and staff also discussed meter enforcement. Gallagher said the Yonkers Parking Authority oversees meters, lots and garages. The committee heard from councilors that some meters are being removed in favor of pay stations and that the prior "free 10 minutes" policy appears to have ended. Director Gail Burns was referenced as the Parking Authority director.

With no objections, the committee agreed to send the three parking-related ordinances back to the Rules Committee for amendment and further consideration.