This story has been updated.
As San Antonio city leaders look for ways to address a massive budget shortfall this year, some are calling to increase in the cost of parking tickets and traffic violations to generate additional revenue.
The current parking ticket range of $27 to $227 was set in 2009, according to the city.
If approved as part of this year’s budget, the fines would rise to a minimum of $47 and maximum of $247 per violation starting Oct. 1.
City Manager Erik Walsh said that headed into a tough budget season, council members made clear they didn’t want to raise the city’s tax rate, nor did they want to cut services that residents rely on.
He equated the fee increases to checking “between the cushions of the sofa” for any potential untapped revenue.
The city’s proposed 2025-2026 budget calls for a number of other fee increases:
Commercial alarm permit renewals would jump from $100 to $250 — the maximum allowed under state law. At the same time, the penalty for an unpermitted alarm, assessed when police respond to a business without a valid registration, would rise from $250 to $500.
City officials estimate those two charges alone would generate more than $1.5 million in new revenue. The higher costs would fall on businesses that rely on alarm systems — from small shops and restaurants to larger commercial operators.
Restaurants in particular face a double hit, with the alarm fee increase coming alongside a proposed $125 food inspection fee Walsh said was the result of a new state law.
Increasing fees on alarm permits would affect many homeowners who have private alarm systems that communicate with the police. Residential alarm permits, both new and renewals, would increase from $40 to $50, generating a combined $111,780 in additional revenue, according to city estimates.
The Animal Care Services budget proposes increasing fees on animal exhibit permits, pet grooming permits and petting zoo permits.
Though not listed in the budget document, Walsh also mentioned the city was considering raising the fines for traffic violations.
“Many of these fee increases have not been adjusted in some time,” Walsh said while presenting the proposed changes to the council.
Together the changes are expected to raise an additional $3.7 million per year in city revenue — with parking fines alone contributing $438,000, according to the city.
The city’s overall 2025-2026 budget is more than $4 billion.
The council will discuss and propose changes to the budget over the coming weeks, before voting on a final version Sept. 19.
When the initial proposal was presented, Councilwoman Sukh Kaur (D1) said she was “excited” about the higher parking fines, which could help deter people from illegally parking on her constituents’ streets.
“My downtown neighborhoods hate when the parking violation is cheaper than what it would have been to park at the Alamodome for an event,” Kaur said. “I think seeing that increase is going to be really helpful.”
