Judge for yourself: Is courthouse parking fair?
By SUE CARLTON
Published October 7, 2005
Each morning, the judges of Hillsborough County pull into their super-exclusive, complimentary parking spaces behind velvet ropes at the courthouse.
Bailiff/valets rush to open the doors of each Jaguar and Lexus and Mercedes as it arrives. As the judges walk into the courthouse, county clerks and secretaries fan them with giant ostrich plumes.
That's the visual you might have gotten after the Hillsborough County Commission's hand-wringing vote this week to ask the county's 50-plus judges to start paying to park at county facilities, same as other government employees who work downtown.
That all makes it sound a little like the judges are saying "Let them eat cake," doesn't it? But commissioners, in their apparent attempt to strike a blow for fairness for the little guy, missed the point.
Here's the premise: Judges, who bring in fat six-figure salaries, get to park gratis.
But some hard-working clerk-typist who makes a fraction of that is required by county policy to shell out $27 to $58 a month for the privilege of parking in one of 2,000 county spaces downtown.
An audit determined that had judges paid for their parking spaces last year, the county would have taken in close to $29,000 in additional revenue.
At a meeting this week, Hillsborough Commissioner Ronda Storms pointed out that even commissioners have to pay to park. She mentioned judges' enormous salaries and asked them not to be mad at her for suggesting they start paying up.
When told the cost for a judge to park at the secure garage near the courthouse would be a mere $38 a month, Storms blurted out, "Are you kidding me?"
Hillsborough Chief Judge Manuel Menendez Jr. has previously pointed out the need for secure parking for judges, given violent incidents against them nationwide in the past. He has also pointed out that the county is responsible for providing courthouse facilities and security.
Now for the missing-the-point part.
First, the obvious. It rankles us, and it should, to see people who have money getting something for free when people with less money have to pay for it.
For some judges, the price of a month of parking is probably about the cost of a dinner out.
For some courthouse employees, it's probably more like a chunk of the mortgage.
But that's not the real issue here. The question is why we make people who work for the county pay for parking at all.
In Pinellas County, parking is free for judges, courthouse staff members and other county employees. Ditto in Pasco.
But parking facilities operated by Hillsborough County brought in about $535,000 in revenue last year, much of it from county employees. (Maybe you're not a real downtown unless you charge people lots of money to park there?)
At the courthouse, you hear stories of employees who work at far-flung offices out in the county and who dread a "promotion" downtown, because it means they'll suddenly get smacked with a monthly parking bill. Why not ask them to bring their own desks and PCs?
This week, a couple of judges told me they would be willing to pay for their parking if it was required. It's a well-meant gesture. But it won't help any of the judicial assistants, clerks and other courthouse employees who park in the same garage they do.
Sure, maybe those people would feel a little better knowing the big guys in the black robes were getting pinched, too, even if the pinch probably hurts judges less. But those employees would still see that chunk of change disappear from their paychecks every month, whether judges were paying or not.
And finally, a small point about the commissioners.
Yes, they pay for their parking. They also get a $300 monthly car allowance. That's a nice little perk - one that judges don't get.
Sue Carlton can be reached at carlton@sptimes.com