Talk about the winning ticket. Michael Laws discovered mayors don't have to pay parking fines after a ticketing for illegal parking.
Everyone's got a parking story and the mayor told his at yesterday's audit and administration meeting when the agenda touched on elected member and council staff parking policy.
Councillor Don McGregor said the item should really go to the transport committee, to which Mr Laws agreed, saying the item was only on the agenda because he had discovered councillors could sometimes escape tickets and he wanted to discuss whether that was fair.
"I discovered this after being given a ticket. I gave it to my secretary and asked her to take care of it, meaning make a cheque out from my account and pay it.
"She, bless her cotton socks, went down to the parking people, and they rang me, apologising for the ticket."
Mr Laws said it turned out councillors had parking passes to use when on council business which meant they did not have to feed the meter.
Apparently it was also council policy that first time parking offenders, if they followed up a ticketing, would be let off.
"So that's why I wanted to discuss it.
"And, for your information, I did insist upon paying the fine," Mr Laws said.
Parking ticket fine by Laws
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