From that day forward, the resident parking rates will double, from $1 per hour to $2, while rates in South Beach will tick up from $6 per hour to $8, among other changes.
Miami Beach Commissioner Alex Fernandez tells New Times he intends to introduce a resolution at the city's budget hearing on Wednesday, September 25, to prevent the administration from implementing the new rates.
He says fellow commissioners David Suarez, Joe Magazine, Tanya Bhatt, and Kristen Rosen Gonzalez have agreed to cosponsor the reversal.
Fernandez says the announced price hikes stem from a 2019 ordinance approved by a prior administration that "provides adjustments by the city manager to certain specified fees to reflect increases in the Consumer Price Index" every five years.Miami Beach to increase on-street parking rates to $6 hour, effective Oct 1. Rates are tied to CPI, and reset every 5 years. pic.twitter.com/rMKmG7Hxl3
— Better Streets Miami Beach (@BikeWalkMB) September 19, 2024
"Hopefully, we can see this stop," Fernandez tells New Times. "It is an unnecessary burden, and it only contributes to what I call, 'the great gentrification' of our city. You know, between the housing costs and costs of living, the last thing that the public needs is an increase in parking.
"These are the people we are here to protect, and under no circumstances will I allow for this burdensome, unnecessary increase to move forward."
Fernandez says the parking department is operating well with its existing revenue and argues that the increases will hurt the city's economy, price out residents and the workforce, and harm businesses that thrive on tourism.
"It is a completely unnecessary increase, and it only burdens and makes our city less affordable for our residents, and we just need to stop it frankly," the commissioner says. "If you told me, you know, people are going to lose their jobs without this increase — but no, I mean we can function properly as a city. Our parking operations function properly without this."
Nor does he understand why the city passed a policy that automatically increases parking rates.
"I think first we need to determine a need," he says. "If there is a need, I think we're all willing to contemplate something. Just to automatically tell the public, 'Hey listen, we're going to burden you with an increase in fees, even though we don't need it, we are still going to charge you more money' — that's not really serving the best interest of the public."
