20-80% sharing system questioned

A Dagupan City councilor wants the controversial draft ordinance on parking implemented to shore up revenues for the city.

Insisting the city needs money, Councilor Luis Samson Jr. revived his proposal for the approval of his long pending draft ordinance seeking to fix the rate of parking fees to be charged motorists, including the sharing   scheme on parking fees between the city and a private pay parking contractor.

Samson is proposing a 20-80% sharing basis on the net profit on parking fees in favor of the private contractor, which some of his colleagues find to be grossly disadvantageous to the city.

Councilor Alex de Venecia pushed for the deferment of the approval of Ordinance No. 0-292 to enable the principal sponsor at least one month to conduct another round of public hearings on the measure.

Draft Ordinance 0-292 compliments an approved ordinance last year that designated which roads in the city as pay parking areas.

De Venecia objected to the proposed sharing 20-80 sharing because the city will end up earning only   a pittance and defeats the purpose of making the parking activity a major revenue-generating activity for the city government.

However, Samson defended his scheme by describing the obligations of the private parking contractor, i.e., hiring of personnel, provide towing equipment and painting of the designated parking areas, to implement the pay parking scheme.

He told the council that no private contractor would be willing to negotiate with the city government to implement the pay parking scheme with a lower net share.

Samson said the 20 per cent share of the city government from pay parking fees shall accrue to a trust fund that will be earmarked for the city’s low cost housing projects for the poor, and also for road management.

He said that under his proposal, all barangays with designated pay parking areas shall get 20 per cent share from the city government’s net share or profits from the fees to be collected.

De Venecia countered with a 60-40 sharing basis in favor of the city government which he considered fair and will dispel any suspicion that the city council is favoring the interests of a particular private contractor.

The name of the public contractor was not mentioned during the discussion but city hall insiders believe that the same contractor that cornered the hefty garbage collection contract in the city, a known business crony of a ranking city official, is being eyed for the parking concession.

“We should not be in a hurry to pass this measure because this is a very important piece of legislation. We need more time to study it,” de Venecia said.

Councilor Farah Marie Decano has also manifested her opposition to the 20-80 sharing basis while Councilor DaniloTorio has proposed that the city government organizes to implement the ordinance on its own without need for a private contractor.

Peeved by his colleagues’ stern refusal to approve the measure after seven months of delay, Samson said “Kung ayaw ninyong ipasa, di huwag”, and walked out of the session hall

But he returned to the floor a few minutes later to continue to defend his proposed ordinance.

Samson explained that the proposed ordinance was a product of a careful study and a series of public hearings conducted by his committee but is very much willing to conduct another one in order to accommodate the request of his colleagues.

He said it is imperative for the council to pass the measure so it can help the city raise its revenue collections.

Samson said the 20-80 sharing basis would be enforced just in the beginning of the pay parking scheme, adding that if the business will be good in the future, the city might get a bigger share.

On Torio’s recommendation, he said the city government will not be in a position to operate and collect because the city does not have the necessary equipment, particularly towing trucks to be used in the operation. – AQL 

 

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