Image by Geoff Marshall/TheDigitelImage by 20081126-parking.jpg

The Post and Courier's David Slade on Charleston's 2009 budget:
There will be no tax or fee increases next year, but the city does plan to raise the cost of parking tickets at expired meters from $8 to $14. The ticket increase will raise money, but city officials said the increase is mainly intended to encourage people to use parking garages.
Take a gander at the city's full budget.

Part of the reason for that hike is because the city took a $300,000 hit after the Legislature passed a law saying local governments had to wait 30 days before hiking parking ticket late fees.

To make ends meet, the city will also be dipping into its $18 million reserve fund for $2 million to make things work. Mayor Joe Riley is also symbolically forgoing his would-be $4,500 raise.