by KYW's Mike Dunn
Mayor Nutter's plan to raise the parking tax... came under the microscope in City Council... and drew a protest from garage owners. (See Previous Story)
The Mayor wants to boost the parking tax from 15% to 20%, meaning an extra $50 cents in tax on a $10 garage bill.
Robert Zuritsky of the Parkway Corporation, speaking to Council on behalf of 14 operators, said Philly's parking tax is already the highest in the country, and he said, tourism and cultural groups are worried:
"They are also very concerned that this tax will negatively impact all of the business in Center City."
But the Mayor's Budget Director, Stephen Agostini, said he doubts the tax hike will hurt:
"Given the going rates for some of the garages downtown, our expectation is that the demand will not drop off significantly."
Nutter hopes to raise $16 million through the parking tax increase, with most of that going to the park system and street resurfacing.
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