Parking meter rates going up
Parking meters are going up by 25 cents, a move that has Prince Albert’s downtown business association up in arms.
City council approved the plan last night to raise parking rates from a dollar per hour to $1.25. The move is expected to bring in $112,500 annually. The city still has cheaper parking rates when compared to other cities like Moose Jaw and Saskatoon, which charges $1.50 and $2, respectively.
Rick Orr, the executive director for the Prince Albert Downtown Business Improvement District, doesn’t like the idea and likened it to another tax to help offset the millions the city is losing in provincial grants.
“A 25 per cent increase is simply going to discourage people from shopping downtown,” he said prior to council’s decision. “It means instead of finding a loonie to put in, they will have to figure out if they have change to put a loonie in and a quarter. Most people aren’t even carrying cash nowadays.”