The $1 increase in the hourly rate, announced last month as part of the City of Westmount's 2012 operating budget, has been implemented to prevent people from taking advantage of the lower parking rates in Westmount, City Councillor Gary Ikeman said Monday night in moving the bylaw amendment for adoption.
He pointed out that the rate of $3 per hour brings Westmount on par with the current rates charged by the City of Montreal.
While this amendment to the parking meter rates applies to the eastern edge of the city, Ikeman pointed out that in order to protect local merchants, Greene Avenue will not be affected by the increases.
Tickets are big business
The City of Westmount recently purchased 60,000 parking tickets for use by Public Security officers in 2012. This gives an accurate picture of how many tickets are issued each year, said Public Security Director David Sedgwick, who added that approximately 62,000 tickets were issued in 2011, each carrying a fine of $52 or $57, with an additional $12 in court fees.
The annual supply of blank tickets, ordered to Westmount's specifications, costs $36,400 - but as pointed out by John Camia, unit chief of the City's Purchasing Department, ordering the tickets in bulk on an annual basis saves the City approximately $25,000.
