Councilman Mark Mayoka To Re-Submit Resolution For Parking Fee Amendment

April 19, 2013 5:39 pm | Filed under: Government | Posted by:

Dear Editor,

On February 26, I represented the Town Board at the Huntington Chamber Networking Breakfast where the topic of the day was themayoka Huntington Village Parking Study.  I noted the merchants concerns, anger and distress caused by the increase in parking fines. At the request of some of the merchants and based on my business experience I prepared a resolution to eliminate the increase to metered parking fines.

The Huntington Village Business Improvement District (“Huntington Village BID”) requested the Town Board reconsider the increase in metered parking fines that were recently increased from twenty-five dollars ($25) to fifty dollars ($50), pursuant to Local Law 18 of 2012.  In 2012 over 4100 traffic summonses were issued at a cost of $102,500 to the residents.  I don’t think it is fair to penalize the residents further and charge them an additional $102,500.  As elected officials it is not our job to add insult to injury.

At the April 9th Town Board meeting I introduced resolution 2013-176 to schedule a public hearing to roll back the fines that were part of the 2013 adopted operating budget, that I voted against.  The new fines were scheduled to go into effect on March 1, 2013. The only way to roll back these onerous fines is through a town board resolution.

“Shop Local” has become a national rallying call for small businesses across the country; an increase in fines would act as a deterrent and discourage shoppers. I will be re-introducing this same resolution at the May 7th Town Board meeting. In these tough economic times we need to help promote local businesses, not hinder them.

In November 2012, I voted against the increase in parking fees and fines that were part of the town budget.  I advocated for Small Business Saturday because I believe that the town needs to work with small business owners and help stimulate our local economy.

I believe that a public hearing will allow the Town Board the opportunity to listen to the local business owner’s, their employees and patrons’ express their thoughts and opinions about parking fines. The hearing will provide a valuable tool to assist in creating a clear picture of how to move forward.

Councilman Mark Mayoka, CPA

 

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One Response to Councilman Mark Mayoka To Re-Submit Resolution For Parking Fee Amendment

  1. Parking is horrible in the village. So many people are double parking now just to “run in” to a store or grab a coffee that it makes it difficult to manuever the busy streets. Delivery trucks block lanes of traffic, sometimes on both sides of the street on NY Ave adding to the difficulty. People create their own parking spaces at the ends of some streets where the hash marks clearly show no parking – so the tail end of their car is sticking out into traffic (like in front of the post office).
    Adding additional fines to those already existing is a slap in the resident’s faces. Restaurants and bars taking up parking slots in the public lots for valet service hurts all the other businesses whose customers then can’t park there! Are the restaurants/bars paying the town for this privilege, like Paramount who got a deal for the town lot they block off? If I were a business owner, I’d be angry at losing customers because of this double whammy – extra large fines for customers and loss of parking spaces due to valet service for some!

    My Town Too
    April 20, 2013 9:39 am at 9:39 am

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