East Orange Mayor Ted Green announced Thursday that the town is "recommending special consideration" for all unpaid parking tickets issued from 2017 through 2021.
That means anyone with a parking ticket issued between those years will not have to pay the fine.
The one-time move forfeits an estimated $16 million in fines owed to the city by violators.
East Orange officials noted that much of that money would have gone to state fees and other costs that wouldn't directly impact city residents.
And Green said there's a bigger goal in mind here: to help East Orange motorists who have faced financial challenges due to the pandemic.
"Parking in our city can be stressful, and if this initiative helps to reduce that stress and ease the financial burden on some of our residents, then it's well worth it," he said.
The mayor's office said parking in the city has been a longstanding challenge.
Regulations like no overnight parking on certain residential streets and one-side parking on other streets have long stirred controversy among residents and visitors.
Anyone with an unpaid ticket will still have to go to court to have it resolved.
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