Syracuse, N.Y. – The City of Syracuse today opened a parking ticket amnesty program, waiving late fees for motorists who pay their share of more than 200,000 parking tickets dating back as far as 1997. City officials hope the three-week-long initiative brings in $500,000 to $1 million of much-needed cash.
Some motorists have questioned the accuracy of the city’s records, especially for tickets more than a decade old. The city mailed out notices to 110,000 motorists Friday, notifying them of the opportunity to pay.
Over the weekend, Syracuse Chief Administrative Officer Frank Caliva acknowledged the complaints. He said city officials “will work diligently to make corrections, where needed, while also pursuing fines lawfully owed to the City.’'
To make it easier to check the records, the city today opened a database of all the tickets. The database is searchable by name.
During the amnesty, motorists can pay their tickets without accumulated late fees. Tickets for which the city has already obtained a legal judgment are not eligible; nor are tickets that are part of a bankruptcy.
The amnesty ends Sept. 25. Once it expires, vehicles with unpaid tickets more than 90 days old risk being booted or towed, city officials said.
Onondaga County Executive Ryan McMahon appears to be among those caught off guard by an old outstanding ticket. According to the database, McMahon got a $35 ticket in 2010, while he was still a city councilor.
“News to me,’' McMahon said in an email. “Will certainly pay if it’s accurate.’'
McMahon said he doesn’t doubt receiving the ticket, but said he would be surprised if he did not already pay it.
City officials asked that questions regarding the amnesty program be directed by phone to 315-448-8483 or by email to amnesty2020@syrgov.net. According to a recording on the phone line, it may take several days for calls to be returned “due to a tremendous volume of amnesty inquiries.’'
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