Phoenix City Councilman Sal DiCiccio is warning his constituents about a planned revenue grab by the City of Phoenix, through a yet another new fee that the City is considering implementing.
“A proposed measure to install parking meters at Phoenix Mountain Parks including Echo Canyon and Piestewa Peak will come before the Parks Board next Thursday and will likely come before the City Council shortly after,” DiCicio wroteiIn his newsletter. He added that he was “strongly oppose” to the plan and asked constituents to join him in the fight against it.
DiCiccio explains that “earlier this summer, the Mayor and a slim majority of the Council pushed through a new water fee because the public was largely unaware of the proposal.” DiCiccio vows that won’t be the case this time.
DiCiccio says that if “the measure passes, it could cost an avid park user hundreds of dollars a year in parking fees. Charging for the use of parks that you have already paid for with your taxes is simply wrong. I strongly oppose, as I did two years ago, any measure to install parking meters in our parks. It is my belief that we should encourage, rather than impede use of our parks.”
DiCiccio notes that the money raised would not necessarily be spent on the upkeep and improvement of the parks. He says that the money would go into the general fund and be spent on “anything from lobbying to travel to PR or any number of other things.”
“Last year was the second highest revenue year that Phoenix has ever had, and this year is expected bring in the highest revenue in our history,” writes DiCiccio. “We are not in a budget crisis because we don’t tax enough – we are in a budget crisis because we spend too much. This measure is unnecessary.”
He is concerned that the measure could set a precedent and asks “which park is next?”