New York City Council introduces bill requiring richer people to pay more for violations like parking tickets, double parking
NEW YORK -- A new bill introduced by the New York City Council on Thursday would make richer people pay more for fines such as parking tickets or illegal dumping.
The current going rate for a parking ticket in New York is $115, but this new bill is aiming to change that.
"We're trying to say, look, if it's pinching the little guy, then it's gotta pinch the big guy too, and right now, it's not," City Councilman Justin Brannan said.
Brannan is proposing a pilot program to scale civil fines based on a person's income. For example, a billionaire would have to pay more for a parking ticket than a public school teacher.
"Something needs to change. We're paying the same, and I do not make anywhere near that much," Williamsburg resident Ross Hayes said.
"Just because they're rich doesn't mean they should pay extra," one person said.
"If you make more money, I think you should be able to afford to pay more," New Dorp resident Tommy Baker said.
"Who's gonna be able to figure that out?" Gramercy resident Joe DeAngelo said.
There are similar programs in a handful of cities around the country and in Europe.
"What they do in Europe right now is basically they have the technology where, the same way they have a digital machine that puts in your information, they can look up your tax receipts and know what your income is," Brannan said.
The independent budget office found New York City is owed more than $2 billion in unpaid fines from just the last five years.
Proponents of this bill argue scaling the fees would encourage more people to pay.
"It scales it according to a person's ability to pay, which we don't have a current model for," said Antonya Jeffrey, state director of the Fines and Fees Justice Center. "A $75 fine can mean going without really basic needs for one person and could just be a drop in the bucket for another."
The bill has to survive a hearing in the council.
A spokesman for Mayor Eric Adams said he'll review the legislation once it's introduced.
