Parking is about to get more expensive in the district — but it remains to be seen whether it's the cost of on-street parking or private lots that will go up.
The D.C. Council will decide Wednesday between Mayor Muriel Bowser's proposal to raise some taxes or the council chairman's plan to extend hours for parking meters. Either option will make it more expensive to park in the district.
Bowser wants to raise the sales tax to six percent just like it is in Maryland and Northern Virginia. She also wants to raise the tax on parking lots and garages.
"We believe that we have put together a fair and balanced budget that addresses the priorities of the residents of the District of Columbia," Bowser said.
Several members of the D.C. Council are against raising taxes. Instead of raising sales and parking taxes, on Tuesday, Chairman Phil Mendelson proposed extending the hours parking meters are in effect in areas like Adams Morgan, Georgetown and the downtown business district.
Mendelson also wants to increase the cost of all parking tickets issued in D.C. by $5.
"Our revenues are growing by hundreds of millions of dollars a year; we don't need to be raising taxes and in fact the recommendation that the council's considering doesn't require us to raise taxes," Mendelson said.
Local
Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia local news, events and information
The council will vote Wednesday on which proposal becomes law. Fiscal watchdogs say either choice is good news for the district's less fortunate.
"More money for things that are important to D.C. residents, like affordable housing, homeless services and assistance to crime victims, that's all great news," said Ed Lazeer of the D.C. Fiscal Policy Institute.
Parking changes are coming to the following neighborhoods:
- Adams Morgan
- Georgetown Historic District
- Penn Quarter/Chinatown
- U Street NW Corridor
- Downtown Central Business District
- Maine Avenue and Water Street SW
- The National Mall
- Wisconsin Avenue NW (from Van Ness Street to Western Avenue)
