Mayor Orders City 'Pay-to-Park' Meter Audit

Mayor Rahm Emanuel is vowing to hold the city's widely scrutinized private parking meter company accountable.

For the first time since since the pricey Chicago Parking Meters LLC deal was set in motion four years ago by then-Mayor Richard Daley, the city's finance and legal teams are enlisting auditors to take a close look at the company and agreement's inner-workings. The audit, which is scheduled to start in November, will cover both financial and operational aspects of the company's 75-year, $1.15 billion lease of the city's "pay-to-park" meters.

More than 115 pay boxes are stationed within Lincoln Square, according to a map generated on the Chicago Parking Meters LLC website. That number includes dozens that drivers may find along the neighborhood's north and south borders of Montrose and Foster Avenue.

Let Patch save you time. Get more local stories like these delivered right to your inbox or smartphone with our free newsletter. Fast signup here.

The coming audit is aimed at verifying whether said revenue collections match the number of parking meters used around the city, the mayor says.

“To ensure we are responsible stewards of taxpayer dollars being paid to CPM, it is imperative this administration vigilantly exercise due diligence while effectively managing each contract," Emanuel said in a written statement. "These comprehensive, regular audits will help ensure accountability and keep those behind the agreements honest and responsible."

The Chicago Tribune reports that amidst the pending audit, Emanuel's administration is locked in a dispute over a $14.2 million bill with the company.

"His administration stopped payment this summer on $14.2 million the company says it's owed for out-of-service parking spots, a total that has since topped $50 million," the story said. "City officials want more time to analyze data before paying, and the company has threatened to go to mediation amid terse exchanges of correspondence."

Huffington Post Chicago cites a December controversy in which the company billed the city $13.5 million for potential revenue it claimed was lost because of street closures, repairs and other circumstances that limited use or access to the meters.

"In response, the mayor said that he refused to, 'write blank checks to companies that say that's what we owe. Just because they submit it doesn't mean that's what we're going to pay, and we're contesting that,'" Huffington Post reports.

In addition to the parking meters agreement, audits will be conducted on the lakefront parking garages and the Skyway concession deals on a periodic basis, according to the mayor's office.

Join the Party: Follow us on Facebook

What do you think of the city's meter deal? Tell us in the comments.