Parking violators in River Forest will have to dig a little deeper to pay their fines after officials voted at the April 29 village board meeting to increase parking penalties.
The board voted unanimously to adopt an ordinance to increase the general fine amount to $45 from $30. The fine increases to $75 from $50 for violators who fail to pay the initial fine amount before the initial hearing date and to $150 from $100 for those who fail to pay before the second hearing date. The ordinance was approved without discussion as part of the consent agenda.
The new fines take effect immediately.
The fines for parking in accessible spaces remain unchanged, which are $350 for each step.
In a memo to Matt Walsh, village administrator, police Chief Jim O’Shea explained that River Forest fines and penalties for parking violations have not been amended since 2011 and increasing the violation fee “should” deter violations.
“Research of fines and fees assessed by neighboring jurisdictions was conducted and revealed that the base fine is typically $50,” he said in the memo.
A survey of 20 neighboring municipalities showed a range of $25 charged by Stone Park and Hillside to $50 charged by 10 municipalities.
In other business, the board approved a balanced general fund budget for Fiscal Year 2025. Estimated total revenues for FY2025 are $20,505,784, up from $19,299,655 in FY2024. Estimated total expenditures for FY2025 are $20,922,908, up from $20,116,778 in FY2024. A deficit of $417,124 is due to $450,461 in nonrecurring expenditures that will be covered by reserves. The budget shows a surplus of $33,517.
The budget, presented at the April 8 village board meeting, was approved unanimously.
