Parking: Where would the money go?

Mayor Holaday showed a bit of bravado this morning by publicly predicting the parking plan will pass. In a hopeful tone, she told the Daily News she already has the six votes she needs, we'll see if they hold until Monday night.

I found a few interesting points in the article. The one that jumped out immediately was the Mayor's plans for the estimated $500,000 paid parking could generate.

Claiming a possible $500,000 in revenues can be earned once the city pays to install the $178,000 pay-to-park machines in the parking lots included in the plan, Holaday has put forth the argument that the time is ripe to look at parking as a revenue source.

"We're already hearing about another 4 percent cut in local aid," said Holaday, who sees the plan as a means of strengthening the city's internal revenue sources to pay for things that residents care about but have been cut amid budget shortfalls at the state level.

She listed foreign language at the middle school among the programs that could be funded with dollars paid for through the paid- parking plan, and the upkeep of city infrastructure that's been falling apart in recent years because of a lack of funds — sidewalks primary among them.

"To be able to use a revenue stream that is not directly tapping into every resident in the city, like property taxes do, is essential," Holaday said.

Wait? No mention of a waterfront park? Jim Roy, a huge Holaday supporter, just last week identified the "entire thrust of her program" to be "financing improvements to the waterfront that a majority of citizens here want to proceed."

So which is it? I'm certainly in favor of the former. We've got too many immediate needs that are currently going unmet. If the measure passes I hope any monies raised are spent on necessities rather than luxuries.

Next: Parking, who's going to vote for it?