Council approves free parking initiative

By Lethbridge Herald on June 14, 2023.

Alejandra Pulido-Guzman
LETHBRIDGE HERALD

During Tuesday’s Lethbridge city council meeting, Councillor Rajko Dodic presented an official business motion to council asking his colleagues to support complimentary parking at City Hall in the last week of June on an annual basis to make it easier for residents to pay for their property taxes.

“This resolution is just formalizing a practice that’s been around for a while, and actually it came about as a result of my paying utility bills, and the frontline staff there and one of the members there said to me if this year they’re going to do the same thing, in terms of allowing free parking during the last week of June when people come to pay their municipal taxes, and I says well I’m sure it is, and I’ve spoken with the city manager and he said the intention was to do that,” said Dodic. 

The motion stated that historically in some years including 2022, City Hall parking has been complimentary during the last week of June prior to municipal tax payments deadline, and the city traffic bylaw provides among other things, the authority for the city manager designate parking to be complementary from time to time. 

Therefore the motion asked be resolved that the city manager beginning in 2023 and continue each year thereafter, is encouraged to provide complimentary parking in the front of City Hall on the South side of 4th Ave. S between Stafford Drive and 11th Street South during the last week of June.

Tax notices were mailed to residents in late May. Payment is due on June 30 with a seven per cent penalty to be applied to all unpaid 2023 taxes starting July 1.

Mayor Blaine Hyggen said during debate that he supported the motion and thought it was a great idea and reminded residents there is still parking available in the back of the building for free, for those going into City Hall to pay for other things like dog licences. 

The motion was passed unanimously. 

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