Salt Lake County fights city on parking fee

Salt Lake County is battling with Salt Lake City leaders to block them from charging a fee on vehicles parked at the county-owned Salt Palace Convention Center.

And with a new mayor taking office, Salt Lake County officials hope Ralph Becker will back off and end the fight.

Outgoing Salt Lake Mayor Rocky Anderson started the groundwork on imposing up to a $5 fee on cars parked at the Salt Palace, Main City Library, Gallivan Center and the Matheson Courthouse, according to a letter from Anderson to Salt Lake County Mayor Peter Corroon.

The city owns most of those buildings. Just not the Salt Palace, and the county has no interest in allowing the city to charge a fee on cars parking at its facility.

A bill passed in the 2007 Legislature allows cities to charge a fee per ticket or per vehicle at a public assembly facility in order to help pay for police, fire and paramedic protection as well as street maintenance.

Both sides claim to have the law on their side.

"The law is clear. Cities cannot impose parking fees on government-owned properties" without asking for permission first, Corroon said. "It's not our intention to pay the fee."

The county is relying on language added by the 2007 Legislature to SB119 that basically says one city cannot impose a tax or fee on another city or county's parking facility without written consent from that other city or county.

"We're not giving them that consent," said Erin Litvack, the county's community services director.

Salt Lake City officials say they don't need it.

They believe the Salt Palace's parking garage is considered a "parking service business," not a public assembly, and subject to a fee of up to $5 per car, according to e-mails obtained by the Deseret Morning News from City Attorney Ed Rutan to Chief Deputy District Attorney Dahnelle Burton-Lee.

"The city does not agree with your assertion that the county has

the right to written consent before such a fee can be imposed," Anderson wrote in a letter to Corroon.

Now that Anderson won't be running the city, county leaders hope all the fuss will die down. Anderson's eight-year run as Salt Lake City mayor ends at noon Monday. Becker said he knows little about the situation and hasn't made up his mind whether to continue Anderson's push to charge a fee or back off.

"I haven't heard much about that," Becker said. "I heard something about it shortly after the election, and I'm sure we'll get into it."