OLD ORCHARD BEACH — Parking at an expired meter will hit your pocketbook a little harder this summer in Old Orchard Beach.

The Old Orchard Beach Town Council unanimously approved, with Councilor Jay Kelley absent, a change to a town ordinance that will increase the fine of an expired parking meter from $25 to $30 at Tuesday night’s council meeting.

The fine for those feeding meters to prolong parking for longer than the allowed time also increased from $25 to $30.

Other approved parking fine changes include an increase from $20 to $30 for the penalty for parking facing traffic as well as parking too close to the corner. The fine for parking in more than one metered space is rising from $25 to $30.

Parking spaces on downtown streets are metered from Memorial Day to Labor Day. Parking is free the rest of the year. The Town Council recently voted down a measure that would have extended the parking season about a month.

The Town Council passed a measure in early March allowing residents to purchase seasonal parking passes for $75. The passes are for use at seasonal lots and metered spaces.

Residents have been allowed to purchase passes for seasonal lots for several years, but this is the first year they have been able to purchase seasonal passes for metered parking spaces as well.

According to town budget documents, the town received about $330,000 from parking meter and daily collections from town parking lots last season. It also collected about $142,000 from parking fines.

In total, the town received about $473,000 in revenues related to parking fees and fines.

Town Manager Larry Mead has projected an increase of about $55,000 in revenues from parking fees and fines in the upcoming year, factoring in the new changes.

— Staff Writer Liz Gotthelf can be contacted at 282-1535, ext. 325 or [email protected].