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Chester Council approves booting, parking-meter, parking-tax and amusement-tax ordinances
Summary
The Chester City Council adopted four ordinances updating parking enforcement and taxes, including a booting ordinance, a maintained 15% parking tax with reduced penalties and amnesty, a stadium-district meter zone with dynamic pricing, and a 5% amusement tax on ticketed sales.
The Chester City Council on May 13 adopted four ordinances intended to tighten parking enforcement and generate tax revenue tied to stadium and event activity. Councilors Williams and Davis and Deputy Mayor West voted yes on each measure during the meeting's second and final readings.
City staff described the package as enforcement- and revenue-focused, with measures aimed at commercial lots around Subaru Park and large ticketed events. The Chief of Staff summarized the parking-tax change as a modification of existing law: "the original parking tax, it still maintains the current parking tax rate of 15%." He said the ordinance reduces previously proposed penalty language that was legally unenforceable and establishes an amnesty program for delinquencies in areas around the stadium.
The booting and vehicle-immobilization ordinance (new article 521) creates processes for immobilizing and removing vehicles to manage traffic, enforce parking rules and collect unpaid fines. The parking-meters ordinance creates a stadium district meter zone and authorizes dynamic pricing for meters in that district to adjust rates by demand. The amusement-tax ordinance enacts Article 319 to impose a 5% tax on ticketed sales and cites the Local Tax Enabling Act as authority; staff explained that small or low-value community events, and certain charitable activities such as some church events, are exempt from the levy.
Supporters said the amendments clarify definitions, reduce excessive penalty language and add tools to manage high-volume event nights. Staff emphasized exemptions for charitable organizers and that ordinary residents are not the primary target: the Chief of Staff said the taxes "would largely apply to who is paying the parking tax and that would be the lots around the Subaru Park where the Philadelphia Union plays." There was no recorded opposition during the vote, which carried on roll call.
Next steps: the ordinances took effect as provided in each enactment; council did not refer changes back to committee during the meeting. Implementation details such as meter pricing schedules and amnesty enrollment procedures will be handled by city staff and vendor partners as directed in the ordinances.
