Prince William County officials voted Tuesday to impose fines for unpaid parking tickets and increase the time granted to citizens to pay them.
Previously, citizens had just five days to pay fines for parking violations, but the county was limited in the way it could enforce the tickets.
“Right now [the county ordinance] does not authorize us to tow or boot [a vehicle] for unpaid parking citations,” said Sgt. Thomas Garrity of the Prince William County Police Department. He added that officers were forced to pursue scofflaws in court if they wanted to recover the $35 penalty for the citations.
The amended ordinance would increase the payment period to 30 days and double the fine if not paid on time. It would also allow the county to boot or tow vehicles with three or more parking violations.
“This new code would increase our collections by simply allowing people more time to pay,” Garrity said, adding that people unable to immediately pay the fine would be better able to “get their financial affairs in order.”
Garrity said that $2,100 is the highest amount of outstanding parking tickets that a single person has accrued. Since the county has sent letters and met with the individual, they have not incurred any more parking citations, he added.
Vice Chairman Maureen Caddigan, R-Dumfries, applauded Garrity’s report and said the department was being “extremely fair” in proposing the increase from five to 30 days.
“The tickets over the years to some people have evidently meant nothing,” said Caddigan. “They just get a ticket and they don’t pay it, and that’s not good. You get a ticket, you have to pay the fine.”
