Proposal to reduce some parking fines in Chicago draws ire from alderpersons ahead of budget vote
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Mayor Lori Lightfoot's $16.4 billion budget plan for 2023 cleared its first legislative hurdle on Tuesday, before hitting a bit of a speed bump, as alderpersons balked at a proposal to reduce several fines, including penalties for parking in bike lanes.
The City Council Finance Committee swiftly approved the mayor's proposal for a 2023 property tax levy totaling more than $1.7 billion, by an 11-9 vote.
The 2023 property tax levy is approximately $25 million higher than 2022, but Budget Director Susie Park said that increase comes solely from taxes that will be charged for new property, and won't result in an increase in property tax bills for existing homeowners and business owners.
While the mayor's property tax plan passed with minimal discussion, alderpersons were upset when they learned the so-called "revenue ordinance" – which outlines various fees and fines charged by the city – would include reducing the cost of several parking fines, including for blocking bike lanes.
Assistant Corporation Counsel Mark Siegel said a recent Illinois Appellate Court ruling determined that state law limits penalties for various parking offenses to a maximum of $250.
The city currently fines vehicle owners $250 for offenses such as blocking bike lanes, having tinted windows, or having an obscured license plate, and adds a $250 late fee if those tickets aren't paid on time. Siegel said the Appellate Court ruling means the city can only charge a total $250 fine, including any late fees, and the Illinois Supreme Court has refused to take up the case.
Several aldermen suggested the city should leave its fines as is, regardless, and petition the Illinois General Assembly to change state law during this month's veto session to approve a $500 cap on those parking fines.
Ald. Brendan Reilly (42nd) said the city has invested millions of dollars in building out designated bike lanes, and that alderpersons' offices have been bombarded with complaints about illegal parking in those bike lanes. He also noted deaths for bicyclists have spiked since 2020.
"This is a chronic and consistent problem. We've been asking for increased enforcement. It has not shown up," he said. "What is the wisdom in reducing the fine for something that could potentially kill people."
Ald. Matt O'Shea (19th) joined Reilly and several other aldermen in suggesting the mayor and the City Council should hold off on changing the city's fines while pressuring state lawmakers to approve a higher threshold for parking fines, calling the proposal to lower the city's fines "nothing short of disturbing" while trying to make roads safer for bicyclists.
Siegel warned that if the City Council does not reduce those parking fines to comply with the Appellate Court ruling, the city would be vulnerable to further costly litigation.
"It would be illegal for us to issue these [$500] fines under the court's ruling," Siegel said.
Finance Committee Chair Ald. Scott Waguespack (32nd) agreed that the city should lobby the Illinois General Assembly to allow the higher parking fines, saying "our state reps and our state senators put us in this position," but he questioned the wisdom of not changing the fines to comply with a court ruling while hoping for state lawmakers to change state law.
The dispute over those fines appears to be only a temporary setback for the mayor's overall budget plan, with the Finance Committee set to return on Wednesday to vote on those fines after the mayor's team comes back to answer further questions from alderpersons.
The mayor has scheduled a final City Council vote on her full budget plan for Monday.
Lightfoot did not seek an increase in property taxes for existing properties in her budget plan, after reversing course on plans for a 2.5% property tax hike, which would have amounted to $42.7 million, or about $34 a year for the owner of a $250,000 home.
Two years ago, Lightfoot convinced aldermen to approve annual property tax hikes tied to the consumer price index, but capped at 5% a year. During her August budget forecast, Lightfoot said she would only seek half that amount, but later abandoned that plan when it became clear aldermen would not support a tax hike.
In announcing she'll skip plans for a property tax hike in 2023, Lightfoot said she is only planning to forgo the annual property tax hikes for one year.
