For the sixth straight year, parking fees in uptown Waterloo will rise by 10 per cent.
The city’s finance and strategic planning committee made that decision, which must still be ratified by council, Monday afternoon.
Several councillors voted against the increases, which were originally designed as a means to get city subsidies out of uptown parking.
Mayor Brenda Halloran was one of them, saying the city has “maybe a couple of challenging years ahead for businesses” and questioning if parking rate increases would be undue burdens.
“We’re trying to attract businesses to the core, we’re trying to put out that whole notion of open for business,” she said.
“How are we going to stay competitive, how are we going to make sure that our uptown core is vibrant?”
Coun. Mark Whaley was also against the idea, though for a different reason.
“We’ve been subsidizing this parking for years and years, and the subsidy continues,” he said.
“This is just one more baby step, this 10 per cent.”
The majority of councillors were in favour of the increases, saying they weren’t designed to be easy to swallow.
“I don’t think we should be not having any increase at all,” said Coun. Angela Vieth.
“We need to attract people to public transit.”
If ratified by council, the increase will go into effect Jan. 1.
