UW-Platteville collected over $300,000 for parking permits and tickets for fiscal year 2009, but that number is down from last year.

Graphic by Corey Jo Blahnik

Overall parking revenue dropped from $365,494 in fiscal year 2008 to $329,071 in fiscal year 2009, a difference of $36,423.

In the 2009 fiscal year, which ended June 30, $53,560 was collected in revenue from parking fines, compared to $72,127 in 2008, said Budget Office Director Cathy Riedl-Farrey.  She said the $18,567 difference stemmed from relaxed winter parking rules on campus.

Revenue collected from parking permit sales for fiscal years 2009 and 2008 was $275,511 and $293,367 respectively, a difference of $17,856. Director of Campus Police Scott Marquardt surmised that the drop could be due to the recession but wasn’t sure.

“Parking permits could be pretty low on [people's] priority list,” Marquardt said. “They are spending [their money] elsewhere.”

Parking revenue pays for parking expenses, Marquardt said. Expenses come from several different areas, including maintenance costs for maintaining the parking lot and repairing pavement, painting parking lines, replacing light bulbs and plowing snow.

Marquardt also said two office employees and three police officers are paid partially out of the revenue generated by parking revenue.

“We do not tie pay to revenue,” Marquardt said. “Staff is paid by contract and it can be unethical to pay based on performance.”

Another expense is the cost of the supplies needed for providing permits and enforcing violations. The software used to record permits has a yearly fee. Ticket books and the permits themselves are part of the supply expense.

Riedl-Farrey said that a major expense is debt service. Debt service is the amount paid in interest on loans taken out for construction on campus. For 2010, Riedl-Farrey said the cost is estimated to be $260,000.

The cost per year for a permit is expected to rise for next year according to the budget office’s five-year model. The model is based on enrollment predictions and how many permits were sold in the past. Riedl-Farrey said that the model is a conservative estimate.

“Debt load has increased,” Riedl-Farrey said. “Prices go up to make sure that the account stays in the black.”