The city is looking at dissolving its parking authority and replacing the board with a paid manager.

But the annual wage for the new part-time position brought on a debate among council members.

Mayor Tom Donaldson proposed the salary be $35,000, which is in the city’s wage ordinance set to be passed at council’s meeting Thursday.

However, that amount was questioned by council members Bill May and Kathy Kline at the city meeting Tuesday night.

“I don’t agree with setting the parking manager salary at $35,000” Kline said. “This is a part-time position.”

Dissolving the authority, which manages most parking lots and the tier garage in the city, was a requirement for the city to get a bond rating to borrow the money for the new parking garage, Donaldson said.

The city in September finalized a $6.8 million bond through PNC Bank to pay for the 230-space garage under construction near the intersection of Cunningham and McKean streets.

“That’s what started all this,” Kline said.

Donaldson said someone will have to take over the former responsibilities of the board.

“Who is going to run it if we don’t have a manager,” he said.

The mayor said he came up with the initial salary proposal, but said he did not base it on other parking manager positions in other cities and did not have in mind a specific number of hours that the manager would work.

“I just tried to have a salary that would be fair,” he said.

Jim Chiprean, chairman of the authority, is expected to be named the new parking manager, although that has not been voted on by council. Chiprean has been chairman of the authority board for 18 years.

Kline agreed the manager position is needed, but said the pay needs to be further evaluated.

Donaldson agreed to take it off the city’s wage ordinance until council can discuss it further.

“We’ll take this one step at a time,” he said.

The five-member authority is expected to vote to dissolve at its meeting tonight while council will vote Thursday to disband the board. Once disbanded, the city would take on all assets of the authority and all its management duties.

But May has concerns about that move.

“I’m opposed to this,” May said. “My fear is that a future council will use the parking authority money as a cash flow for the city. Then when future (parking) repairs are needed, the money won’t be there.”

The city’s proposed $8.6 million budget for 2016 will not include the parking authority’s revenues or expenses.

The city will take over the responsibilities of the authority, but will keep the authority’s budget of about $500,000 separate, similar to what it does for liquid fuels tax.

May said there needs to be some protection to make sure the money generated from parking goes to parking.

Councilman Richard Schontz said May’s concerns are valid, but said dissolving the authority will streamline parking management.

“We can’t predict the future,” he said. “But this change will get everything coordinated and in order.”

Councilwoman Cheri Readie agreed that the parking funds should not be used to help balance other parts of the city’s budget.

“Parking has to be revenue neutral,” she said, also saying she agrees dissolving the board will “streamline” management of parking.

Donaldson said the move is part of the plans for parking in the city, including automated lots and garages, as well as parking kiosks for the streets.

The mayor said he and Chiprean already have a trip to Ohio planned to review different parking systems the city could possibly use in the future.

Parking rate increase

While council is sorting out its plans for parking management, there is an increase for the rates in the parking lots it already manages.

The Quarry Street, Center Avenue, and Farmer’s Market lots all will have $5 increases in monthly parking permits beginning next month. The new rates will be $25 per month.

The parking authority had previously increased the monthly permit rates in its lots and the tier garage by $10 for 2016. The authority’s rates range from $30 to $50 this year.