Santa Monica Meter Maid Grosses $6 Million in Commissions

A meter maid rakes in the top dough by working on commission from parking tickets. The controversial new parking meter program designed by the city of Santa Monica to increase revenue.

 

by George Wolfe

 

SANTA MONICA — Santa Monica parking enforcement personnel in the city of Santa Monica are renown for their tenacious ticketing. But after September 11, 2001, when the city saw a budget shortfall looming due to a nationwide drop in tourism, it enacted an even more aggressive ticketing idea to bring in the bucks: working on commission.

 It was disclosed that for the fiscal year 2002, the leading parking violation ticketer is a "meter maid" known as Juanita Garcia, 33, a mother of five, who lives in East Santa Monica.

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"We call her 'The Pelican' for being able to spot an expired meter from a quarter mile away. She's got a sixth sense or something."

 — Emma Mitchell, Parking Enforcement

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A source at Santa Monica city hall says that the aggressive program has been a resounding success and that Garcia's numbers represent $6 million of revenue for the city. Commission rates were set at 25%, so Garcia will receive $1.5 million on top of her regular salary.

 Garcia did not return phone calls, but fellow parking enforcement worker, Emma Mitchell, described Garcia as, "actually, a quiet person... but she really means business. She's super-speedy. I tried to keep up with her one day, but it's impossible.

 "We call her 'The Pelican' for being able to spot an expired meter from a quarter mile away. She's got a sixth sense or something about where and when those meters are flagging red. She'll swoop right down on those poor folks!

 "Once, I saw a man standing by his meter, quarter in hand, just waiting for that meter to click over. He couldn't have looked away for more than a couple seconds when she heard the click from across the street, moved in, ticketed him and took off before he could drop the coin in!"

 Garcia outpaced her nearest co-worker by nearly $600,000 in gross earnings from parking ticket violations.

City Hall would not comment on whether or not the program would continue even if the city's revenues rise to sufficient levels, or whether the program is fair given that the average Santa Monica city job earns just 3% of Garcia's annual commission.

 What will become of Garcia now that she's had her windfall? Rumor has it she hopes to pass the $2 million mark in 2003.

 Drivers beware.