Summary#

The Community and Public Services Committee directed City staff to prepare an unfunded service package for e-ticketing parking enforcement and related parking-software updates. The package is to be considered during the 2027–2030 budget deliberations; the committee did not approve funding or change parking fines.

• The motion, moved by Councillor J. Wright, carried 2–1. Councillor K. Principe voted against.
• City staff must prepare the package by the 2027–2030 budget deliberations.
• The motion does not approve an e-ticketing system, early-payment discounts, or a tiered fine schedule. Council would consider funding through the budget process.

What it means for you#

• People with parking tickets: Current flat fines and payment processes remain unchanged by this decision. The City does not currently offer an early-payment discount.
• Taxpayers: City staff will put forward an unfunded proposal for budget consideration. Council has not yet approved spending or implementation.
• Parking enforcement staff: The report says e-ticketing would connect ticketing with the City’s fines system. The decision only requires a service package; it does not establish when or how a system would be introduced.

Money#

The report estimates costs for e-ticketing and related software, but this decision approves no funding.

• With software upgrades to support early-payment tiers, City staff estimate a one-time cost of $0.9 million to $1.15 million and annual costs of $190,000 to $300,000.
• Without tiered payments, the report estimates FINES software upgrades would cost less: $130,000 to $170,000. The report says the e-ticketing system costs would remain the same.
• If early-payment discounts are later adopted, City staff estimate annual ticket revenue could fall by $0.3 million to $0.7 million. That estimate is not a projected effect of e-ticketing alone.

What is unclear#

• The motion does not set a budget amount, choose a system, or set a start date.
• It does not say whether the service package will include an early-payment discount proposal.
• Council’s decision on funding and any later fine changes will come through the 2027–2030 budget deliberations.

Case for#

• City staff say e-ticketing could remove the current three-to-five-business-day delay before tickets can be viewed or paid online.
• Staff say e-ticketing could reduce manual processing and ticketing errors, and improve reporting and customer service.
• Preparing an unfunded package gives Council cost and service information to consider before deciding whether to fund the change.

Case against#

• The report estimates substantial setup and annual costs; no funding has yet been approved.
• City staff say there is not enough evidence to know whether early-payment discounts would increase overall payment rates. If discounts are adopted, staff estimate lower annual revenue.
• Staff warn that people with less access to online payment or banking technology may be less able to use early-payment discounts.