County Workers Got $180K In Improper Parking Discounts: Auditor

SEATTLE, WA - King County lost about $900,000 in revenue due to haphazard practices in collecting parking revenue, according to a new report from the King County Auditor. Part of that revenue was lost to improper discounts given to county employees.

The audit found that "[g]aps in policies and procedures, poor data quality, and staff turnover" in the Facilities Management Division, which is in charge of the four main downtown Seattle county garages, was behind the revenue loss.

The county lost about $180,000 due to county employees being charged less than the hourly rate charged to the public, according to the audit. County code requires that county employees pay the public rate up to a maximum of $20 per day. But the employees were prorated if they parked for less than $20 worth of time.

The Facilities Management Division lost another $190,000 by restricting parking at the Chinook Garage, 401 5th Ave., to just elected officials and oversized vehicles. That practice left vacant spaces that could be turned into revenue.

"More than 20 of Chinook’s 72 parking stalls are empty, a vacancy rate of 29 percent. In comparison, Goat Hill, a public access lot, is managed to maintain a vacancy rate of six percent," the audit reported.

Here's a breakdown of how the county lost money on parking revenue collection, according to the auditor:

• Reduced hourly rates - $160,000 – $180,000
• Reduced reserved area rates - $100,000
• Reduced reserved stall rates - $140,000
• Chinook vacant stalls - $190,000
• Occupied stalls not billed - $290,000

Read the auditor's full report here.

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