DEWEY BEACH, Del. -- The Dewey Beach Town Council is considering increasing the current hourly parking rate from $3.50 to $4.00.
According to Dewey Beach Town Councilman Paul Bauer, the extra revenue would be used to pay the town's operating expenses and employee salaries.
"A bunch of costs have gone up and primarily comes from our police raises," says Bauer. "We've got to do an annual raise. You know, you want to work somewhere that you can get a raise every year. So, that is taken into consideration."
"We analyzed our lifeguards and seasonal police officers and what they were getting paid compared to other jurisdictions," Bauer adds. "At that point, you know, we need to raise them up on par."
The increase would align Dewey's rate with Rehoboth Beach, which is currently $4.00/hour. Officials in Bethany Beach are also considering raising their hourly part rate from $3.00 to $4.00.
The Dewey Beach Town Council is scheduled to discuss and vote on the change at their next meeting on Friday.