St. Pete-Clearwater Sun

Higher parking rates took effect in St. Pete Beach on Wednesday, following a decision city commissioners made two weeks prior.

On March 24, commissioners voted 4-to-1 to increase parking fees by 50 cents per hour. The new rates bring the weekday cost to $5 per hour and the weekend rate — which now includes Fridays — to $6 per hour. During tourist season, running from February through April, an additional $1 per hour applies.

The city projects the increase will generate more than $1.7 million in additional annual revenue, money officials say is needed to address aging infrastructure. Maintaining St. Pete Beach’s roads, sewer, and stormwater systems is estimated to cost more than $200 million.

City Commissioner Jon Maldonado, whose district includes Pass-a-Grille Beach — which has the highest concentration of metered spots in the city — called the increase modest and said it aligns St. Pete Beach with surrounding communities. Treasure Island charges $4.95 per hour on weekdays and $5.95 on weekends. Madeira Beach charges $4 per hour, and Clearwater Beach charges $3.50 per hour.

Not everyone welcomed the change. David Whitfield, a visitor from Atlanta, said the timing was poor given broader economic pressures. Gas prices in the area have risen an average of $1.18 over the past six weeks, according to AAA data, following the U.S. attack on Iran.

Mayor Scott Tate asked city staff to explore a duration-based fee structure, and the city will pause its holiday flat rate increase — from $25 to $40 — for the next three holidays to collect parking turnover data. The hourly rate will remain in place for Memorial Day, the Fourth of July, and Labor Day.

The commission declined to adopt several other proposed measures, including passing credit card transaction fees on to visitors and adding $1 in sunset pricing between 4 and 8 p.m.

Parking enforcement is currently fully staffed with three full-time officers and one part-time officer. Last week, nearly 700 parking-related tickets were issued in the city.

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