The View From Prospect Hill for the week of Jan. 25

What do we want from municipal government? We want of course, the major city services we pay for – safe streets, excellent schools and public works that work for us.

But we also want to be able to walk into City Hall and feel like we can be heard. We want a voice in the decision making process. If our voice is one of dissent we especially hope the mayor and aldermen can listen, if not help.

             For the past six months there has been good reason to walk into City Hall and express concern. That reason ‚Äì increased parking meter prices. Aside from the predictable griping that comes with any price increase, merchants and motorists across the entire city have raised several good points that Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone must address.

First, the waiters, waitresses and bartenders who contribute to Somerville’s vibrant nightlife automatically makes a dollar less an hour if they drive to work. Second, the meters only take quarters. Who carries stacks of quarters with them?

Third, motorists can not park in their spot for more than an hour in the afternoon. In many business districts across the city, once-leisurely lunches have become nerve wracking sagas of suspense starring frightened customers on the run from hyper aggressive meter maids.

The fourth and final reason the mayor must re-consider the fee increases he instituted is the unanimous disapproval they have been met with. From Union Square to Davis Square, from the Chamber of Commerce to the Aldermanic Chamber, backlash has been constant.

            In fact last week, the Board of Aldermen voted unanimously to recommend rolling back the new parking meter prices. The resolution was put forth by Ward 7 Alderman Bob Trane but was preceded by a similar resolution from Ward 5 Alderman Sean O‚ÄôDonovan two months ago.

Trane and O’Donovan are hardly rabble rousers looking to grandstand in opposition to the mayor. They are two of his biggest supporters on the board and followed his lead on controversial issues such as Assembly Square and the gang ordinance.

But they are also dedicated to effective municipal government and couldn’t ignore the extreme outcry against exorbitant parking fees. Residents expressed their concerns and they listened. Now we hope Mayor Joe follows their lead and does the same.