City councilors can get parking tickets dismissed

Some city councilors still use a ticket-dismissing program that has proved to be controversial in the past, according to a City official.

The Boston Transportation Department (BTD) program dismisses parking tickets city councilors receive while on official city business, if they file a sworn statement requesting it. The program is in place because city councilors often have to visit neighborhoods with resident permit parking.

City Councilors Charles Yancey, Stephen Murphy, Bill Linehan and Salvatore LaMattina opted into the program this year, according to BTD spokesperson Tracey Ganiatsos. She said between the four city councilors, three tickets have been dismissed this.

The program was in the news back in 2007 when City Councilor Mike Ross, who is running for mayor, was fined $2,000 by the State Ethics Commission for having 35 tickets inappropriately dismissed. Ross said at the time he will no longer use the program.

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