Sarasota pauses new downtown parking rules after merchants’ uproar

SARASOTA, Fla. (WWSB) - Downtown Sarasota’s expanded paid parking enforcement program was temporarily rolled back Monday, as the debate continues to roil between business owners and city leaders. The Sarasota City Commission voted Monday to repeal the new rules for now -- and revisit the issue at the end of the month. Before July 1, enforcement hours were shorter, running Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Parking on Sundays and city-recognized holidays were free. Parking tickets were $5 cheaper across the board.Those rules changed July 1, extending hours of enforcement to midnight Monday-Saturday for on-street parking and charging for parking after 1 p.m. on Sundays.While some merchants said higher rates and longer enforcement hours are driving customers away, city officials argue the system is working as intended.To better understand the impact of the city’s parking program, ABC7 filed a public records request examining parking citations, citation revenue and the parking