A city plan to increase parking revenue by $640,000 next year calls for meter rates to double to $1 an hour in Clifton, Corryville and University Heights.

In all other neighborhoods, 1,348 meters would increase by 25 cents an hour.

Downtown and Over-the-Rhine aren't spared either. Of 2,354 meters in those areas, rates at 1,960 meters would increase by between 25 cents and 75 cents an hour, with a maximum charge of $2.50 an hour in high use areas.

The plan was unveiled during Council's Neighborhood Committee meeting Tuesday. It's part of City Manager Harry Black's recommended budget. Mayor John Cranley, in the budget he passed on to council last week, erased a proposed ticket increase, but left the proposed meter increases.

Currently, it costs 50 cents an hour to park in city neighborhoods.

When Black unveiled his budget May 11, he said no specific increases has been planned.

Earlier this month, an Enquirer investigation found that the city is paying New Jersey-based Conduent hundreds of thousands of dollars a year to run the parking system, but has ignored many of the recommendations offered by the company.

For instance, Conduent recommended to the city that 560 meters in the Clifton/Corryville/University of Heights area increase by 25 cents an hour, not the $1 an hour under consideration now.

Vice Mayor David Mann, the committee's chairman, asked the director of the city's parking division Dan Fortenberry, "Why Clifton?"

The answer: "It was not picked out of a barrel.... it is based on higher occupancy. There is a lot of cruising, a lot of looking for spaces."

Director of Community and Economic Development Oscar Bedolla, whose division oversees parts of the parking system, said the increase is "plugging a shortfall, but at the end of the day we want compliance." Cincinnati is facing a $26 million hole in the city budget. the largest since the Great Recession.

Black has recommended the city raise the cost of parking and building permits and is asking city departments and social services agencies to make $8.8 million in cuts. But in his recommended fiscal year 2018 budget, he avoided layoffs and closing pools, recreation centers and health clinics.

The parking system is a big part of plugging the budget hole, with planned changes that would bring in an additional $2.1 million a year.

In addition to meter increases. Black suggested increasing parking tickets from $45 to $60, which would have generated $900,000. But Cranley found money elsewhere, replacing that plan.

But Black has also called booting cars with three or more tickets, which is expected to generate $600,000.

How Cincinnati rates compare:

City Hourly Parking fees Cincinnati $0.25-$2.25 Detroit $1.00-$2.00 Dayton $0.50 Pittsburgh $0.50-$4.00 Columbus $0.40-$1.00 Cleveland $0.75-$1.00 Louisville $1.75

Source: City of Cincinnati