That's just seven percent. Parking enforcement is a low manpower issue and low priority for the police department, and rightly so. They've got more important things to do. Additionally, he said, the city's parking deck at Mulberry Street and Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard stays half empty during business hours. The city is bearing a lot of the cost of downtown parking.
Retailers also pay for parking violations.
Meters reduce manpower needs for enforcement, provide a revenue stream and promote on-street parking turnover. Mayor Jack Ellis said he knows there's opposition to installing parking meters, both on City Council and among people who go downtown. The city likely would take some heat from parking meter opponents. Edwards said he hasn't run projections yet for future parking needs. Officials are optimistic that Macon could develop its railroad industry.