City prosecutor Mark Smedley said Heber is rethinking its approach to parking enforcement.
He told the city council Tuesday, Aug. 4, fines for parking illegally will be $50 instead of $25.
“It’s intended to create a meaningful deterrent, because the prior amount was so low that people would park illegally as a convenience,” he said.
The city is also imposing late fees: fines will double after two weeks and go up again after 40 days.
Although tickets are getting more expensive, Heber will now classify parking violations as infractions instead of misdemeanors.
Smedley said people would often fight misdemeanor charges in court, but he thinks that’s a frivolous use of government resources.
“Drop it down to an infraction, people relax; they’re less likely to fight it,” he said.
The council unanimously approved the new rules.
The policy changes are in line with what other Utah towns do. Park City also ups the fine if people don’t pay their parking tickets on time, while Ogden and West Valley City provide a discount if a fine is paid early.
Heber City is a financial supporter of KPCW.
