SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – The Santa Barbara downtown parking fees could be changing in many ways this year.
The parking department funds are dwindling and a city report said they will be gone next year at the current pace. With that, the city’s general fund would have to be used to back fill at a time when a $7-million deficit is forecasted.
Fee changes to generate more revenue have been proposed. The plans also include the addition of parking meters in the downtown core area.
The finance committee, which is made up of three City Councilmembers, examined the figures Tuesday, and heard from the public. They decided to move the item forward to the full council in time for a special budget meeting May 15.
The city’s staff says it saw this coming years ago but it was not a welcoming conversation to have with the public. At the time, the city also had a big…
