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Committee debates tiered parking-rate increase, then tables motion pending more data
Summary
Middletown parking committee debated a phased plan to raise daily meter rates by $0.25 increments over three years, discussed enforcement and budget uses, then tabled the motion pending expense breakdowns and legal guidance.
The Middletown Parking Committee on Monday debated a proposal to raise the city's daily meter rate gradually — a $0.25 increase this year, followed by additional $0.25 steps over a three‑year period — but ultimately tabled the formal recommendation pending further data and counsel.
Chair raised the tiered approach, saying, "This year would be dollar and 0.25, the next year dollar and 0.5, dollar 75," framing the plan as a way to fund lighting, paving and enforcement. Staff told members that council review had returned an earlier $1.75 proposal as too aggressive; the committee discussed spacing increases to make a resubmission more palatable.
Opponents said the committee needed a fuller revenue/expense package before approving rate changes. One member argued the parking fund structure and recent income figures must be clarified first; another urged a revenue‑neutral package that couples behavior changes with any rate shift. On the motion itself, a committee member noted, "the crux of the issue here is the turnover of the parking spaces on Main Street," saying higher rates are intended to increase turnover and free spaces for customers.
A motion to recommend the tiered increase was made and seconded, but after extended debate about charter language, how parking revenue is used, and whether the department already brings in substantial income, the committee agreed to withdraw and table the motion until members receive a detailed income/expense report and legal guidance from the Department of Consumer Protection and general counsel.
