The Cambridge City Council on Monday moved forward with an increase in the annual fee for a resident parking pass, voting to ask the city manager to assess the move. The specific request is to change the fee from $25 to $75 for most residents. Councillors say a new fee structure, which provides a discount for people who proclaim financial hardship and removes the exemption for seniors, is necessary in order to better cover the cost of administering the program. Seven councillors voted for the change, with councillors E. Denise Simmons and Timothy Flaherty voting against.
The policy order that passed was an updated version of the one that first appeared on the council’s agenda during its February 9th meeting. The most significant change to the order is its description of who is eligible for the discounted fee from “for residents who live in affordable housing, are enrolled in a program such as SNAP or are low income,” to “for whom the $75 presents a hardship.”
The version of the policy order that passed also eliminated an exemption for those 65 years and older. The removal of the senior exemption was a cause of public outcry, with at least one person advocating against it during the public comment period of each city council meeting since its introduction…