As San Antonio city leaders look for ways to address a massive budget shortfall this year, some are calling to increase in the cost of parking tickets and traffic violations to generate additional revenue.

The current parking ticket range of $27 to $227 was set in 2009, according to the city.

If approved as part of this year’s budget, the fines would rise to a minimum of $47 and maximum of $247 per violation starting Oct. 1.

City Manager Erik Walsh said that headed into a tough budget season, council members made clear they didn’t want to raise the city’s tax rate, nor did they want to cut services that residents rely on.

He equated the fee increases to checking “between the cushions of the sofa” for any potential untapped revenue.

The city’s proposed 2025-2026 budget calls for a number of other fee increases, including commercial and residential alarm permits and renewals, food establishment licenses and some code compliance-related fees.

Walsh said the proposed $125 food inspection fee was the result of a new state law.

Increasing fees on alarm permits would affect many homeowners who have private alarm systems that communicate with the police.

Though not listed in the budget document, Walsh also mentioned the city was considering raising the fines for traffic violations.

“Many of these fee increases have not been adjusted in some time,” Walsh said Thursday while presenting the proposed changes to the council.

Together the changes are expected to raise an additional $3.7 million per year in city revenue — with parking fines alone contributing $438,000, according to the city.

The city’s overall 2025-2026 budget is more than $4 billion.

The council will discuss and propose changes to the budget over the coming weeks, before voting on a final version Sept. 19.

When the initial proposal was presented Thursday, Councilwoman Sukh Kaur (D1) said she was “excited” about the higher parking fines, which could help deter people from illegally parking on her constituents’ streets.

“My downtown neighborhoods hate when the parking violation is cheaper than what it would have been to park at the Alamodome for an event,” Kaur said. “I think seeing that increase is going to be really helpful.”