Pay parking could be on its way to Tofino beaches and the downtown area as council looks at ways to generate revenue.
Tofino Mayor Dan Law said the town is working on a parking plan and will seek public input.
He said the beaches would come first, and the new policy could be in place by the summer.
Tofino tried to implement pay parking a number of years ago, but it was abandoned after negative feedback, Law said.
Now, however, Tofino has reached the point where infrastructure costs far exceed residents’ ability to pay with property taxes, he said. “We’ve got to find alternative sources of revenue.”
The estimated net revenue from pay parking is about $800,000 to $900,000 annually.
Tofino Coun. Britt Chalmers said discussions about pay parking are still in their early stages and the potential rates have not been decided.
There has been conversation about having annual passes for Tofino residents and First Nations communities, and possibly a regional rate, she said.
