City Council Explores Parking Authority Low Funding To Public Schools, Despite Making Higher Profits
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- The Philadelphia Parking Authority has been giving less and less money to the school district, despite making higher profits. That seeming contradiction was at the heart of a city council hearing on Friday.
Parking Authority officials explained its declining contribution to the school district results from a complicated combination of state law, increasing pension costs, and events such as the Pope's visit and snowstorms. But that reasoning clearly didn't satisfy councilwoman Helen Gym, who noted the Authority had promised more funds for schools when it requested an increase in parking meter fees two years ago.
"It is just striking to me that when you are so precise when you are asking for the rate increase, but suddenly all these these spin out of your control, no one can predict, it's impossible to happen," Gym said.
Despite the scolding Authority officials took, they say there's no way they can provide more money to the school district. In fact, they expect their contribution to continue to go down, unless council raises fees again.