The economy is experiencing extremely tough times, but that isn't an excuse for Evans City to continue handing out unreasonably low parking fines that do little to discourage meter violations.

While $2 parking fines might have been adequate 20 or 30 years ago, they're out of date now, especially since each ticket reportedly costs more than $1 to buy from a supplier.

Police Chief Joe McCombs told the borough council last Monday that, because of the cost to buy the tickets, his department realizes only about 40 cents for each parking violation.

The parking ticket situation can't be a surprise to borough leaders, since McCombs has asked the council several years in a row to consider increasing parking fines.

Council members might be reluctant to increase the rate because of a fear of discouraging people from patronizing businesses in the community. However, parking tickets more in tune with the times, but not excessive, would not be a business detriment. They simply would be an incentive for people to be more attentive to avoiding violations — and, like with fines, that too would mean more money for the borough.

According to an article in Wednesday's Butler Eagle, the council reviewed several possible parking fine options, including increasing the base rate $1 a year until that rate reaches $5.

But, considering fines in other communities, it wouldn't be unreasonable for the council to up the base rate to $5 now and avoid the need for actions over three years.

One of McCombs' comments last Monday should have been eye-opening to the council — and should have raised the question of whether the police department was adequately addressing parking violations.

McCombs said the police department writes about 1,000 tickets a year — which amounts to fewer than three tickets a day.

It's hard to fathom that parking violations are so few and far between where meters are in place.

While police might strive not to be overzealous in issuing such tickets, because of a fear of discouraging people from patronizing local businesses, it's appropriate for the council to discuss with McCombs the issue of whether officers might be too lenient on ticketing violators.

"We have to cover our expenses and generate revenue, which it (current base rate) isn't doing," McCombs said. "It won't be effective if we don't raise it."

The council indicated that it would decide the parking ticket issue in April. In the meantime, council members should independently review all aspects of the issue so that when the time to decide arrives, they will already have firmed up their opinions on how the issue should be decided and, thus, be able to make an informed decision when the vote occurs.

The economy is bad and people are struggling. But the borough government isn't swimming in surplus funds either.

Leaders shouldn't continue to keep unchanged, policies and ordinances that clearly are outdated, as the parking fine base rate obviously now is.