Salt Lake's Parking Meter/Sales Tax Connection

Salt Lake’s Parking Meter/Sales Tax Connection

The increase in parking meters fees not only hinders shoppers it hasn’t lowered taxes or fees

August 3, 2015

Has the increased parking meter fees help alleviate fees and taxes in Salt Lake City?

Art Raymond, Deputy Director of Communications, Office of the Mayor, says, “No fees or taxes have been reduced, but the revenue from the new parking meters has helped in keeping fees and taxes stable. All money collected from the parking meters goes into the General Fund.”

Blue-Monster Parking meter fees make up about two percent of the General Fund, which is the primary source of funding for police, fire, parks and streets. Taxes, fees, fines and forfeitures are where the rest of the money comes from to make up the General Fund, according to the Salt Lake City Budget Summary.

Last year’s revenue from the parking meters were around $2.4 million. This is a substantial increase from the coin meters in 2011 which brought in $1.1 million.

On the flip side of this increase to the General Fund is how the new parking meters have impacted the local businesses in a negative way.

“People still aren’t comfortable parking here, they pull in, look around and then they take off. I don’t know why that is,” asserted Carmen Arthur, owner of Carmen Miranda’s Antiques, located on Broadway. “I see this happen daily.”

“Traffic on Broadway (300 South) has gone down considerably from when I moved in about five years ago. It has nothing to do with the economy, the economy is supposed to be rebounding right now. I just think it is the parking here and the lowered speed limit of 20 miles per hour. They don’t want to come down Third if they have to go a turtle’s pace,” says Arthur. “People say they avoid Third, that is a sad note that they won’t even come down here to shop or to walk around. It’s a pretty street, it really is a pretty street,” adds Arthur.

Boutique clothing stores, coffee shops, restaurants, art galleries, antiques shops, bars and a garden store are a sample of the types of unique businesses you can find on Broadway. The Salt Lake Gallery Stroll held on the third Friday of every month is a great way to visit and support locally owned small businesses.

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Alison Lafazan

Alison has been writing human interest stories and highlighting local businesses for Utah Stories since she graduated from the University of Utah with a degree in Communications in 2014. She has also contributed a few photographs to accompany her stories. Wanting to learn about Utah’s local businesses and activities is what led Alison to start reading Utah Stories and eventually writing for them. She transferred to Salt Lake City from Houston, Texas with her job with a major airline. She is reluctant to call Utah home even though she has lived here for more than 30 years. Alison was born in Texas, but has also lived in Oklahoma, Kansas, Louisiana, and Idaho. She’s still trying to figure out where to call home, but she likes the west the best. Working for an airline gives her the opportunity to pursue her passion for traveling. If she’s not working or traveling, she is hanging out with her husband.