Letter: Raising parking rates is ill-advised

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In regards to Delaware city’s plans to raise the parking rates to $1 per hour, I’d like to remind them that a lot of the people who visit the downtown area are from the surrounding communities, and we have other options besides Delaware.

Marysville has free parking downtown, and for many of us on the west side of the county, it’s just a matter of turning to the west to visit another nice small town with great shops and restaurants.

Raising parking rates by 300% is just ludicrous. It’s not even the cost so much as the principle. Government at all levels need to stop nickel and diming the citizens. You may think you’ll make more in parking fees, but you’re going to lose out more in sales taxes when people don’t go to downtown Delaware to shop and dine. Less business will also lead to less income taxes, when workers and employers make less. I’d also rather park blocks away for free and walk just on principle, so then you’d have less available parking in residential neighborhoods.

Delaware city officials need to look further than the tips of their fingers on their calculators and see the long-term effects of this ill-advised policy. Stop trying to be Columbus.

John Saniel-Banrey

Ostrander

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