Mineola Trustee Proposes Hike in Parking Fines

Mineola Trustee Lawrence Werther is proposing increasing parking fines around the village. The proposal came the same night the village board with a 3.5 percent tax increase for residents.

Werther made the proposal following a a conversation he had had with a resident at the April 13 meeting.

In his conversation with the resident, Werther called parking tickets “a voluntary thing” since “you can choose not to pay a meter, you can choose to park illegally” as opposed to property taxes, which must be paid.

Werther said he was “absolutely” in favor of increasing ticket amounts, which he described “were fairly low” in comparison to other villages and municipalities in Nassau County.

“We’re below the middle point,” he said.

Parking violations in Mineola range from $40 for an expired meter to $180 for parking in a handicapped zone without the proper permit. Violations of a “No Parking for Commercial Vehicles” zone garners a $100 fine as does “Prohibited Trucking” violations. The highest fee the village imposes in its code is $500 for either an abandoned vehicle or a third violation of its snow ordinance.

An expired meter will yield a $55 ticket in the Town of North Hempstead, while handicapped violations will cost drivers $155. “No Commercial Parking” violation fees are $55 per ticket.

Nassau County charges $85 for an expired meter and a total of $280 for handicapped parking violations. Restricted parking violations and no commercial parking violations are $105 per incident. The Town of Hempstead has a fee structure similar to that of the county.

At the April 20 meeting Werther requested that the village reexamine the fines and fees, contemplating a proposal to create a “class level” in fines with more hefty fees for heavier vehicles since commercial vehicles which “cause havoc” with curbs.

He also suggested the village might want to pursue building fees for commercial buildings designating where trucks would come in and make deliveries.

“Hopefully if we institute some it will provide a revenue stream that’ll help cushion the tax blow next year,” he said.