San Gabriel City Hall (Photo – sangabrielcity.com)
The San Gabriel City Council unanimously approved a new fee schedule Tuesday that raises parking penalties, updates service charges, and establishes fees for youth programs, while pledging to continue discussions about assistance for low-income families.
By Zamourad Iqbal
The fee schedule, adopted as part of the city’s 2026-27 fiscal year budget, includes increases to parking and safety violation fines, new fees for recreation programs, and updates to various city service charges. Earlier in the meeting, Mayor Eric L. Chan proclaimed June 2026 as LGBTQ+ Pride Month in San Gabriel, citing the city’s commitment to ensuring all residents feel safe, welcomed, and free from discrimination.
“All members of the San Gabriel community have the right to feel safe, not be discriminated against, and to live without the threat of harassment. And whereas the City of San Gabriel takes pride in the fact that we are a vibrant, diverse community and proudly joins other communities in striving to build a stronger, better state and nation for all residents,” Chan said.
Assistant Finance Director Linda Tang presented the proposed fee schedule and highlighted key changes, noting that many fees are adjusted in line with the Consumer Price Index to help the city keep pace with rising costs between comprehensive cost studies, which are conducted every five years.
According to the presentation, the annual Bingo Permit fee is now $50, aligning with longstanding municipal code standards dating back to the 1970s and being explicitly listed for clarity. The Massage Certificate of Operation also includes a new $143 fee for facility compliance reviews to help recover costs incurred by city departments.
The fee schedule also establishes charges for the city’s after-school and youth sports programs.
The after-school program fee is set at $30 per child per week, with a discount for siblings. Middle school youth sports fees are $75 per child per season.
Tang said the city is seeking to expand services for young people through additional STEM activities, longer after-school hours and more professional coaching.
“Rather than ending at five, it is proposed to end at six for the middle school youth program,” Tang said.
While the council ultimately approved the fee schedule unanimously, members discussed the potential burden of higher recreation fees and parking fines on some residents.
“My concern is $30 per week per child and then ten percent off with the sibling, which isn’t much actually. And then, the $75 per child for middle school. I mean, I completely understand that we have to recoup some of our costs, but that could be a real financial hardship for our family,” Councilmember Denise Menchaca said.
The fee schedule also includes increases to parking and safety violation fines. For example, the fine for parking a vehicle in the same location for more than 72 hours would nearly double, rising from $88 to $170.
Menchaca also questioned the proposed parking fine increases, noting they appeared higher than those in neighboring cities.
“It looks like we’re the highest in the neighboring cities, including Arcadia, Monterey Park, and some of these areas. So again, just trying to understand the methodology. I understand we’re trying to deter behavior, but it just seems so high. I could be wrong,” Menchaca said.
The fee schedule also creates new rental categories for the Mission Playhouse, including private, non-ticketed events and ancillary space rentals. The ancillary space rental fee would be $60 per hour for nonprofits and community groups.
The City Council unanimously approved the fee schedule and budget, while indicating future discussions would address assistance thresholds and ongoing evaluations of community needs.
Councilmembers indicated future discussions would address assistance thresholds and ongoing evaluations of community needs.
The council is scheduled to meet again June 16.
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