Southern Calif. city floats parking fees to close looming $6M budget gap

After San Diego’s failed attempt to institute parking fees at its landmark Balboa Park, another Southern California city is considering parking fees to cover its budget shortfall. 

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In April, Irvine’s City Council reported that there would likely be a $6 million deficit that could grow exponentially by 2028 if the city didn’t take quick steps to address the shortfall. Council members are now debating new revenue sources — one of which is charging out-of-towners parking fees at the Great Park.

Council member Mike Carroll questioned why City Manager Sean Crumby had not considered charging for parking to help fill the deficit.

“I pay 20 to $30 a day to go to lacrosse tournaments in San Diego County, Riverside County, San Bernardino County, Los Angeles County,” Carroll said at a May 5 council meeting. “… There’s absolutely no reason why the Great Park should not be charging for parking. And there’s probably millions of dollars that are on the table.” 

Irvine’s Great Park currently sits at around 500 acres but is still under development. Once construction is finished, the park will be larger than San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park and nearly twice the size of New York City’s Central Park. The park is made up of dozens of athletic spaces, walking trails, themed playgrounds, an art gallery, and even a balloon ride and carousel.

At a June 9 meeting, Steve Torelli, the director of the Great Park, told the council that they are developing a parking policy and working with an operator. He projected that charging nonresidents parking fees would generate $5 million annually, but it could be months before the program is implemented. 

“I am tired on behalf of 318,000 residents … why everybody going to these lacrosse tournaments, from Yorba Linda and everywhere else, are not paying $40 to park their car so we can plug this budget crisis,” Carroll said. 

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In a 5-2 vote at the June 9 meeting,the council approved using the city’s reserves to cover the upcoming budget shortfall for the fiscal year ending June 30. (Council member Kathleen Treseder and Vice Mayor James Mai were the dissenting votes.) Council members agreed to a hiring freeze, delaying any city vehicle replacements and several city project audits. 

The matter is scheduled to be readdressed at the next City Council meeting on June 23. Any final decisions on parking will likely not come until later in the summer. 

“I’m not interested in approving or adopting anything until we answer all the questions, until I see a big picture,” Mai said.