The City Commission of Great Falls has adopted Ordinance 3283 and Resolution 10612, which introduce a series of enhancements to the City’s Downtown Parking Program. According to the City Commission of Great Falls, these modifications are designed to ensure consistent enforcement and provide short-term stabilization of the parking program while longer-term solutions are developed.
Ordinance 3283 revises Title 10 of the Official Code of the City of Great Falls to modernize and clarify the administration and enforcement of parking regulations. The ordinance enhances consistency across services related to meter bags, courtesy parking, and vehicle immobilization. Furthermore, it eliminates the requirement for a separate mailed notice prior to the immobilization of a vehicle following five or more unpaid parking citations.
Resolution 10612 establishes revised rates, fees, and penalties applicable to the City’s parking system. The hourly rate for paid on-street parking along Central Avenue will increase from $1.00 to $1.50 per hour. Additionally, this resolution modifies the penalties associated with parking citations to promote compliance and improve turnover. For offenses related to failure to pay, expired meters, or overstaying time limits within the Downtown Parking District, penalties will escalate within a calendar year as follows: $10 for the first violation, $20 for the second, $40 for the third, and $75 for the fourth and subsequent violations. The resolution further updates or reaffirms fees for specific parking uses, including meter bag use charged at $10 per day and pedlet space leases within the Downtown Parking District at $500 per space per year.
The revised ticket penalties will come into effect on March 3, 2026. Starting on this date, any individual committing a parking violation downtown will receive a first offense parking ticket, which will incur a fine of $10. Subsequent offenses will result in increasingly severe fines: the second offense will carry a $20 penalty, the third offense will result in a $40 fine, and so forth.
Any unpaid parking tickets issued before March 3, 2026, will remain associated with the individual responsible for those violations. Such unpaid tickets will still count toward the five unpaid tickets required for the immobilization (or “booting”) of a vehicle. However, all individuals will start at the first offense parking ticket level ($10) for any violations committed on or after March 3, 2026, regardless of prior unpaid tickets. For further details, individuals are encouraged to refer to the Parking Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page on the City’s website.
According to the City Commission of Great Falls, the Downtown Parking Program has been operating at a monthly recurring deficit and is not financially sustainable under its current structure. The recommended changes are intended to mitigate the accumulation of future operating losses while ensuring parking turnover, facilitating access to downtown businesses, and maintaining daily operations and upkeep of the parking system. These initiatives are considered interim measures aimed at stabilizing the program in the short term as the City engages in ongoing discussions with downtown businesses, stakeholders, and residents regarding a long-term strategy that may include potential upgrades in equipment, automation, and technology.
By Karen Anderson: February 9, 2026 – Great Falls, Mt
Author: Karen Anderson
Karen is the Editor-in-Chief overseeing all news operations at Foxys Publishing Co. She also loves photography and spending time with her dogs.
