Business
Boise Has 50,000 Uncollected Parking Tickets
November 22, 2017 
According to Craig Croner, administrative services manager and the man who oversees Boise’s parking systems, Boise currently is holding 50,000 delinquent parking tickets which in theory are worth a hefty $1,500,000 or $30 each ($15 fine and $15 late fee).
Officials are talking about raising fees to encourage motorists to use parking garages and otherwise create more turnover. The GUARDIAN has suggested the move would easily encourage folks to patronize merchants and eating-drink establishments in other locations.
The WEEKLYposted a good story about the rate hike proposals along with the revelation about the delinquent tickets. Our suggestion would be to simply spend more effort collecting the fines and late fees worth $1.5 million instead of making the downtown experience unpleasant 25 cents at a time for those willing to pay to park.
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Comments & Discussion
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Nov 22, 2017, 4:31 pm
City data says they issue about 60,000 parking tickets per year
Once again a simple number does not tell the story.
How much of the 1.5 is older than 90 days? That is pretty much uncollectible and not worth pursuing.
Otherwise the next Guardian story will be “City Spends $100,000 to collect $10,000” Or “City Sells Tickets to Collection Attorneys-Happy to Get Judgments for $30 PLUS Attorney Fees”.
Maybe tag the fines to DMV registration costs for non-payers. If the city can’t collect it within 12 months- write it off.
Nov 22, 2017, 5:24 pm
I have an IT company that does calls in downtown Boise and we have been tacking on a $25 surcharge for parking because of the extra time and expenses of dealing with the issue. I recently assisted a customer that moved out of downtown to near the mall solely because of the parking issues.
If the objective is to move more traffic into the garages then maybe a price reduction there would be a better motive.
Nov 23, 2017, 8:43 am
The purpose of the parking rate increases is to close the funding gap needed for the stupid dream called the trolley. Part of the collective public gasp is the high cost of the system and the knowledge people will not pay to ride the trolley so this service no one is willing to pay for, is somehow still very important so it needs to be free.
Nov 23, 2017, 12:43 pm
A NO-BRAINER this one. Raise the rates to move folks from parking on the streets to parking in garages?? STUPID lives. It will not move folks into garages, it will move them into the suburbs. Say goodbye to a vibrant downtown core.
Nov 24, 2017, 11:23 pm
I work downtown and whenever I have to go to another downtown business I don’t even bother driving. It is faster to walk and then I don’t have to worry about parking. I’ve also noticed that around the core that about 20% of the meters are covered with red hoods marking them out of order. Parking Enforcement doesn’t seem in too big of a hurry to fix them.
Nov 25, 2017, 11:41 am
Since electronic commerce is somewhat easy and prolific, there should be a way to pay a ticket from the meter where it was received. Got a ticket when you return to your car? Pay it now and it will not be forwarded to the prosecutor as a misdemeanor. Pay it within 15 days, it will not be forwarded to prosecutor. Pay it before 90 days with a penalty and it will not be forwarded. After that, it goes to the lawyers. It would seem that the credible operation of a parking system that gives tickets involves giving and collecting the ticket. It is a management problem and a political problem, because the city systems lack competent management. The elected are unable to make their managers to the work.