REHOBOTH BEACH - As the summer season kicks into gear, so does the return of paid parking in many of Delaware's beach towns - with several towns raising their fees in the off-season ahead of the start.
Rehoboth Beach raised their fees from 3 dollars an hour to 4 dollars an hour. Dewey Beach increased their fees from 3 dollars an hour to $3.50 an hour.
How are drivers feeling on the first day of the season?
"This is madness! I can’t imagine this early in the season to even do it - yet alone $4 an hour? It’s unbelievable, it’s terrible." said James Giannisis who was visiting Rehoboth Beach today.
"When season comes - it’s very hard to get a parking spot, I feel very sorry for the workers. My daughter got a job in Bethany - parking’s impossible and it’s very expensive for them, it’s really cutting into the money they are making," said Debbie Boyd from Ocean View
While few relish paying for parking, some acknowledge that parking revenue is a significant source of funding for the city.
"It’s something you gotta get used to. I think it should be kept at a cap, I think $4 is a little much, but cap it there, and if it’s going to good use I think it’s fair," said Sean Solomon who works in Rehoboth Beach.
Earlier this year, while Rehoboth was just eyeing the increase at the time, Rehoboth Mayor Stan Mills said the increase would be a huge help to ease their budget,
"Being mindful that for every 25-cent increase in parking meter fees, that yields about half a million dollars to the city," said Mills.
Parking permits in the beach town also saw a 30% increase from last year.