I was disappointed to learn that the city is considering installing parking meters.
Those who would now have to pay to visit parts of the city would undoubtedly universally frown upon the introduction of parking meters.
I suspect the vast majority of those who visit downtown Saratoga, save for during some summer months and weekends, are local people or residents of the city. Meters will effectively force those people to pay perhaps hundreds of dollars a year so they can buy products and services in the city. I would not begrudge their reducing visits to the city so they can shop elsewhere. City residents will be penalized by what is effectively another form of taxation.
Meters are a non-creative way to get municipal funding. There certainly are other ways to raise revenue for the city, as well as ways to reduce municipal costs.
I hope other options are explored versus installing parking meters, which while an easy way to increase revenue, will continue the march towards eliminating the small things that make Saratoga special.
Ken Rawley
Round Lake
