While the lingering controversy over Wilmington parking enforcement was in the news last week with the release of a University of Delaware study and a poll of residents, Newark’s parking situation flew under the radar.
Last month, the Newark City Council approved a nearly $115 million budget that included property tax and utility rate increases. Click here for a link to the proposed budget, which was trimmed a bit in an effort in the final version to hold the property tax increase below 10%
Like other cities around the country, Newark has struggled with inflation and personnel shortages. But one thing that added a few bucks to property tax bills was parking.
Earlier, Newark raised the price of parking tickets and hourly rates, citing the lack of past increases and added costs. While revenues did post a net gain, the increase came in below estimates, with indications that the situation will not improve next year. Getting the blame as it always does was the Covid-19 pandemic.
Setting aside, for now, the argument of whether parking should be a cash cow for cities, the revenue gap means that any solution to the dwindling number of parking slots due to continued development may be further away than ever.
Those favoring the status quo correctly point out parking on Main Street is rarely an issue.
But the perception persists, coupled with overly enthusiastic enforcement that does not even allow a few extra minutes of leeway. Many of us think twice before heading to Main Street.
Little by little, Wilmington has dealt with its parking issues, including spotty enforcement, bad meters, towing issues, etc. But Newark remains saddled with a less than guest-friendly image that shows no signs of improvement. – Doug Rainey, chief content officer.
