Balboa Park visitors can forget about free parking.

The San Diego City Council on Monday OK’d parking fees for Balboa Park. They agreed to delay charging for parking until city staff develop frequent visitor passes, but that move could cost the city millions.

Councilmembers dropped some parking rates for residents and increased rates for tourists and non-residents. The Union-Tribune has more on the rates. City staff also plan to release a resident portal in January.

Councilmembers Vivian Moreno and Stephen Whitburn voted no and Raul Campillo was absent.

As our City Hall reporter Mariana Martínez Barba explained last month, a lot was hanging on yesterday’s vote. If the City Council didn’t OK parking rates at the park, it could be forced to do significant mid-year budget cuts.

We could

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