{"id":1702,"date":"2026-05-13T04:04:57","date_gmt":"2026-05-13T04:04:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sandiegorelocationnews.com\/index.php\/2026\/05\/13\/sacramento-city-council-approves-hundreds-of-fee-hikes-amid-66m-budget-deficit\/"},"modified":"2026-05-13T04:04:57","modified_gmt":"2026-05-13T04:04:57","slug":"sacramento-city-council-approves-hundreds-of-fee-hikes-amid-66m-budget-deficit","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sandiegorelocationnews.com\/index.php\/2026\/05\/13\/sacramento-city-council-approves-hundreds-of-fee-hikes-amid-66m-budget-deficit\/","title":{"rendered":"Sacramento City Council approves hundreds of fee hikes amid $66M budget deficit"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The Sacramento City Council approved Tuesday hundreds of fee hikes to help fill a $66 million budget gap.<\/p>\n

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Some of the services that will become more expensive include fire prevention costs, animal licensing fees and renting theater spaces. Parking violation fines will also increase.<\/p>\n

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City Manager Maraskeshia Smith vowed not to increase parking meter rates, a strategy the city relied upon in years past to balance previous deficits. But the council could expand all parking meter hours to 10 p.m. under the proposed budget.<\/p>\n

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Sacramento\u2019s general fund could grow by $7.4 million under the new payment structure, according to city staff.<\/p>\n

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Finance Director Pete Coletto said the adjustments help keep the city apace with rising costs. Inflation rose in April to its highest level since May 2023, according to news reports.<\/p>\n

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Lobbyists and residents involved in Sacramento\u2019s business community said they understood the reason behind the fee hikes, but worried about how business owners and customers alike can absorb those costs.<\/p>\n

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\u201cWe already have complaints from our customers that parking is too expensive,\u201d said Max Soucia, the owner of Ink and Image LLC. \u201cAs everybody here knows, parking in Old Sacramento is at a premium to begin with. We can\u2019t afford to lose more customers.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Here are some of the approved parking violation fees, compared to the fees in 2024.<\/p>\n

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