Following Service Alberta’s announcement that it will not charge municipalities $15 to conduct license plate searches, the City of Red Deer will not increase parking penalties on Sept. 1 as previously planned.

The license search request fee was expected to cost the City $369,750.

In June, City council approved an increase to parking penalties to recover costs associated with the license search request fee, but penalties will now remain at the current rate.

“The license search request fee would have substantially increased our operating costs,” said Paul Meyette, acting City Manager. “Now that the province has put this request fee on hold, we will need to reassess our long term parking fees. In the short term, there will be no change to parking ticket penalties.”

– Weber