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Committee hears explanation for parking revenue shortfall after operator transition
Summary
Staff told the Finance Committee that changes in how Colonial/Impark paid operating expenses produced lower recorded gross garage revenue in 2025; the borough recorded net garage revenue because the operator paid payroll and other costs directly, altering budget vs. actual comparisons.
The West Chester Finance Committee on Nov. 12 was asked to reconcile an apparent gap between projected and recorded parking garage revenue after a transition in operations.
Staff explained that expectations when the borough transitioned garage operations to Colonial/Impark were that the borough would receive gross revenue and then reimburse Colonial for operating expenses. In practice Colonial paid payroll and other operating expenses directly, so the borough recorded the garage revenue net of those expenses rather than the higher gross amount previously expected.
"When we got into 2025, that transition didn't happen the way we expected it would," staff said, describing rebalancing of expense responsibilities and noting that the garage expense line in the parking fund had not been booked this year. Council members pressed staff for clarity on which receipts related to 2024 and which related to 2025; staff said some amounts posted this year were revenue tied to 2024 activity.
Council members said they appreciated the explanation but asked staff to present accounting that makes year-to-year comparisons clearer. The committee discussed planning conservatively for 2026 and treating the parking fund more transparently in the budget documents.
What’s next: staff will refine accounting presentation to distinguish gross receipts, operator-paid expenses, and year-specific revenue recognitions ahead of the next budget hearing.
