Councillor Trish Purdy said she voted against the motion when it was before the Transportation Standing Committee in April because she didn’t “see the point.”

Trish Purdy quoted a line from the staff report that said municipal staff attended a conference hosted by the Canadian Parking Association in October 2024 where a survey of municipalities in attendance found that none of them were actively considering a weight-based pricing structure for parking permits.

“Okay, two boroughs in Montreal. That’s not even a city. That’s not even a town,” Purdy said. “Outside Canada, we’ve got France, Paris. But they made the decision based on a referendum that their citizens voted for.”

Purdy said an increased fee would put an unfair financial burden on trade workers who drive trucks, health care workers who use vans for their jobs, and owners of electric vehicles, which weigh more because of their batteries.

“I am just not in favour of punishing people for choosing to drive a vehicle of their choice,” Purdy said.

https://www.halifaxexaminer.ca/government/city-hall/suburban-rural-councillors-argue-against-new-parking-fees-that-only-apply-to-urban-halifax/