PITTSBURGH -- The city has reduced its parking tax, but an audit by acting City Controller Tony Pokora shows that the saving is not being passed on to customers.

At the request of City Council, Pittsburgh's parking tax was cut earlier this year from 50 percent -- the highest rate in the country -- to 45 percent.

Pokora's office monitored 60 parking lots in Downtown, Oakland, Shadyside and Station Square, and found that their prices for parking spots did not decrease after the tax did.

Lot operators are not obliged to drop their parking rates when there is a change in the parking tax.

Since the operators didn't lower their rates, Pokora said the city should keep its tax high so the city will still get that revenue instead of the parking operators.

Still, Pokora said he personally thinks the current parking tax is too steep.

During a news conference to announce his audit results on Thursday morning, Pokora cited a Team 4 report by Paul Van Osdol about parking taxes and increasing operating expenses.

Currently, the city is planning to reduce its parking tax each year until it reaches 35 percent in 2009.

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