Dundas's city councillor says her ward is a special case and should be exempt from a $10 hike in parking fees that will impact the rest of the city. But not everyone agrees.

City councillors have voted to increase the cost of monthly parking passes for municipal lots. But Arlene VanderBeek says her town already has higher parking rates, and shouldn't be part of the hike.

Dundas only has municipal parking lots, VanderBeek said. And the Downtown Dundas BIA paid to pave them. Plus, Dundas parking rates increased "not long ago."

"To put another increase on top of that is difficult, so the BIA is actually asking me not to support that increase in Dundas," VanderBeek said.

Jason Farr, whose Ward 2 includes Hamilton's downtown, disputes that. Parking is a city-wide issue, he said. If the rates increase in part of the city, they should increase everywhere.

Farr said in a recent planning argument around a nine-storey building, he heard that business in Dundas was going well. That means the demand for parking can support an increase.

"This council is trying to encourage people to get out of their cars and take the bus, or carpool, or take their bike," he said. "If we're offering parking rates that are that much cheaper than even a bus pass, I don't think we're being effective to that mandate."

Dundas wasn't the only proposed exemption on Tuesday, when city councillors debated the issue at a budget meeting.

Concession Street just went through a long period of construction and should be temporarily exempt, Coun. Tom Jackson argued. Then Coun. Sam Merulla tossed two streets in his ward into the mix for examination — Ottawa Street and Kenilworth Avenue.

The increase will happen, but councillors will debate the individual exemptions on Friday. In the meantime, staff will assemble information on what it would mean to exempt those areas.

Under the increase, monthly permit passes in municipal car parks will increase by $10, generating $250,000 more per year for the city. It will also align the city's rates with private parking lots downtown. RIght now, 56 of Hamilton's 65 municipal car parks have monthly fees ranging from $23.55 to $125.

Of that $250,000 the increase will generate, Dundas would account for $12,400, said Marty Hazell, the city's head of parking and bylaw.

City staff also recommended increasing on-street meter parking by 25 or 50 cents. Councillors deferred that to next year.