Administrative Review - Integrity is Everything

Contrary to popular belief, the City's parking citation review and hearing process does not consist of City employees simply rubber stamping "denied" on every review request received. Our review processors and independent hearing officers are committed to weeding out erroneous and invalid citations, upholding only those that are accurate and just.

The administrative investigation and review of contested citations contribute to the overall goal of discouraging illegal parking by enforcing parking regulations with a fair, timely response that recognizes that some parking situations are unavoidable given a particular set of circumstances and are not true violations of the spirit of the law.

A Fair and Thorough Approach

Every citizen has the right to appeal their citation and have their case reviewed by processing agency staff, an independent hearing officer and finally, a Superior Court judge. Some contestees believe that the citation was issued in error or that there was a "good" reason for violating a regulation. Unfortunately, having a "good" reason does not necessarily exempt the contestee from responsibility for their actions. However, there are circumstances where the parker or registered owner may not be responsible for causing the violation to occur.

When performing an administrative review, the general approach is to verify the facts by reviewing available evidence and, if necessary, conducting an investigation. Extraordinary or mitigating circumstances are also taken into consideration, and the reviewer may need to exercise sound judgment and discretion when determining whether a citation should be dismissed.

Reviewers are expected to verify the facts of each case and make a quick, fair and impartial decision. Not all cases are easy to review, and not all contestees are satisfied with the outcome. It is paramount that our review process shines in the face of public scrutiny and instills public confidence by promoting an image of fairness and impartiality.