It’s looking like you will have to pay for street parking in Halifax on Saturday’s.
The budget committee voted ahead the motion, Tuesday, as councillors continue to tackle big items during budget deliberations and the threat of an 11. 2 per cent property tax hike.
It was tabled last month by Councillor Nancy Hartling to be applicable for downtown Halifax, Dartmouth and Spring Garden zones.
The first hour will be free, however parking fees will rise 25 per cent.
In a statement to our newsroom, Sue Uteck, the executive director of the Spring Garden Area Business Association said this is nothing more than a cash grab.
She said there was no consultation on the matter with her association waiting on results from a district parking benefit study.
“There is no current benefit back to Business Improvement Districts (BID) who are generating the cash for HRM,” said Uteck.
Uteck explained that fees from parking downtown usually generates about $2 million every year but none of the money goes toward BID – a not profit – that works to beautify and maintain the area.
After the motion was tabled in February, she said it would be “one more nail in the coffin” for businesses.
How they were feeling about it?
“Disappointment would be an understatement,” said Uteck.
Uteck told us paid parking on Saturday’s just adds to the perception that there is nowhere to park downtown, dampening a fun outing when families are already spending so much.
“Then to add parking is just an insult,” said Uteck.
It’s not the first time Council explored the idea of paid Saturday parking. It was tabled in 2023 but due to an abundance of backlash, Council nixed it.
In a statement to our newsroom, the city says municipal staff are unable to comment until the budget is ratified on March 31.
