L.A. Now Live: Discuss L.A. parking fine increases

The Times' City Hall reporter David Zahniser will join City Editor Shelby Grad to discuss the latest parking fine increases, which will jump $5 this summer.

The live chat is scheduled for 9 a.m. on Monday. Questions can be submitted live.

In what has become a recurring search for summer cash at City Hall, the council recently voted unanimously to increase parking fines for the sixth time in seven years. The increases will apply to the 2.5-million city parking tickets issued annually and are expected to generate an extra $8.4 million in the next year for the city's general fund budget, which pays for basic services such as police and firefighters.

Villaraigosa backed the increases as part of an effort to eliminate a $238-million budget shortfall.

Under the parking proposal, the fine for an expired meter will increase to $63; tickets for parking on street-sweeping day will cost $73; and parking in a red zone will carry a $93 penalty. A few violations — those dealing with handicapped parking — will go up by $10.