I received a parking citation while parked on Monterey Road near
Fifth Street for violating the street parking time limit rule.
“Thanks Red Phone for your hard work! I received a parking citation while parked on Monterey Road near Fifth Street for violating the street parking time limit rule. Basically I was parked for 2 hours and 15 minutes in a two-hour zone, and I was fined $40. I understand I violated the rule. The directions for paying the fine involved me sending a check to Santa Ana. I was wondering how much of the fine goes back to the city of Gilroy since the citation processing goes through another city. Also why doesn’t Gilroy handle this themselves?
Red Phone: Dear Punished Parker, Looks like you were in the right for spot at the wrong time. It’s like when you get a speeding ticket for going 71 in 65 mph zone. Technically it’s speeding, but everyone does it it. Right?
The city contracts with Santa Ana-based Phoenix Group, which handles parking citations for a majority of cities and universities throughout the state, to process the tickets.
“This is the most cost effective way for the City of Gilroy to process our parking citations,” said Gilroy Police Community Service Officer Gary Muraoka. “If the city was to hire a person in house to process these citations, the cost would be greater.”
The city currently pays the Phoenix Group about $5 for processing for a $40 citation, and another $4.50 goes to the state to the fund court and jail construction, Muraoka said. That means the city receives $30.50 on average. If the fine is for a mechanical violation, the city receives half the fine, and state gets the other half, Muraoka said.
