2009: The Year of the Fee Increase

By Prescott Carlson in News on Jan 1, 2009 7:53PM

Oh, you thought we were done with the ways the city of Chicago is going to bleed you dry this year when we mentioned the increases in CTA fares and parking meters? Think again, suckers. Also going up effective today are:

• PACE fares


• Downtown parking lot/garage taxes


• Cost of residential guest parking passes


• Maxwell Street Market vendor fees


• Limousine license fees


• Ambulance service fees


• Commercial Dumpster fees


• Taxes on sports and theater tickets


• Library fines


• Certain construction permit and inspection fees

And that's not even all of it -- the new increases and taxes are expected to total $52 million. Alderman Robert Fioretti (2nd) told the Trib that he's against this "nickel and dime" approach and that he's "more than concerned at this point" because "[his] constituents are saying they will have to move out of the city, and [he's] hearing it also from suburbanites who say they can no longer afford to come into the city." It would have been nice if Fioretti had expressed his concern with his vote instead of his mouth -- he approved the budget and all the fee and tax increases that came with it in November.

Photo by DR000