Alexandria officials have approved a sweeping series of fee and fare increases, ranging from youth sport participation fee increases to higher parking meter charges.
Many of the fee increases are related to parking and transportation services.
Parking meter rates will jump from $1 to $1.75 per hour, and parking meter violations will increase from $35 to $40. Towing, impound and related service charges also will rise, with residential parking permit fees.
Disabled residents will face a 50-cent fare increase — from $2.50 to $3 — for rides on the department of transportation’s paratransit buses for rides within five miles of city limits. Rides outside of the five-mile radius will cost $5, or double the previous $2.50 charge.
Residents soon will pay more to rent time at the city’s various playing fields, and to lease space among the city’s gardening plots.
Alexandria also is raising trash and recycling collection rates and some building code violation charges,.
The various fare and fee increases, most of which will begin July 1, are necessary to confront the city’s budget woes and to meet fiscal 2011 budget goals, city officials said.
Alexandria, like many Northern Virginia localities, is facing severe budget difficulties after another turbulent year for the national and local economies.
“We had a $44.2 million [budget] gap to fill, and we filled it in a number of ways,” Mayor Bill Euille said.
New fees
Fee Old charge New charge
Youth sport participation $25 $30
Artificial turf field rental $105 $115
Parking meters $1/hour $1.75/hour
Parking meter violations $35 $40
Towing charge $100 $125
Excavation permit $150 $200
Garden plot lease $47 $55
Euille said the faltering economy played a big role in shaping the city’s budget. “We did nothing different than cities and towns across America have had to do,” he said.
Eric Eisinger, an analyst in Alexandria’s budget office, said the city previously lost money on some of its services, but no longer could afford to do so.
“In general the fees went up because the city wasn’t recovering the full cost of the services it provided,” Eisinger said.
And more tough budget years likely lie ahead.
“The next three to four years will continue to be very difficult,” City Manager Jim Hartmann said earlier this year.
